Embracing the Future
by Chaytons Angel
Summary: This is the continued story of Ben and Luna. Now that Ben has found his home he looks to the future and what it might hold for both of them, both within the pack and in their personal lives. If you haven't read Finding Home I strongly urge you to do so as it will help clear up any possible confusion.
1. Chapter One

**A/N:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others. Also, I tend to get long-winded, so some of my chapters may be long, no, not may be, will be. You have been warned.

 **P.S.** As I have two other stories going, Taming the Beast Within and Healing the Winds of Time, over in the Alpha and Omega universe, updating will be slow, but know that I am diligently working on all of my fics and will not let them 'die'.

Now, without further ado, on with the story!

************************MT************************

Three months. That was how long it had been since she and Ben moved in together. Luna watched her mate as he sat hunched over a computer screen working on something he'd had to bring home from work. He did that sometimes, if there was a deadline on a project and he needed the extra time, and tonight was one of those times. When he did that she left him be and tried to be quiet, usually reading a book, because with their hearing even if she listened to music using headphones he would still be able to hear it and be distracted.

For the first few weeks, after he moved in, Luna kept waiting for him to realize she wasn't strong enough, wasn't dominant enough, to be his mate. She looked at the mated couples in their pack; Mercy and Adam, Warren and Kyle, Darryl and Auriele, and they were all similar personalities, all dominants in their own way, but she and Ben were opposites. When it really sunk in that Ben loved **her** , that he wanted **her** , she realized she didn't have to be strong or dominant because she was what he needed for him to find balance.

She thought about their position in the pack. A female took her position from her mate, so even though she was a submissive wolf, in the pack hierarchy she was seventh in the pack, next to her mate. What unsettled her the most about that wasn't that it put her so far up the hierarchy, since there were roughly thirty wolves in the pack, but that if he wanted to, Ben could easily be fourth or fifth. All it would take was a few fights. George and Alec, who were fifth and sixth, respectively, would be fairly easy fights for him. She knew in her heart that Ben was the more dominant wolf and he had more skill than either of them. Paul, their fourth, however was different. He and Ben were very, very close in dominance and she knew if Ben challenged him, that fight would be rough. She'd seen fights for dominance before, they were brutal and often deadly.

Luna shook her head. Why had she suddenly started thinking about that? She glanced at her mate, who was still hard at work. Sometimes things slipped through their mate bond. Was Ben thinking about challenging the wolves above him? Was that why she was suddenly thinking about it? She was reluctant to ask him in case he **wasn't** thinking about it because she didn't want to be the one to put the idea in his head.

It was Friday and they were getting together with Kyle and Warren for Bad Movie Night, which was why Ben was working furiously to finish what he was doing. At the start of the new semester at the local college Luna had started her new job, teaching the history of myths and legends, and she'd finished grading the tests she'd given her students that day while dinner cooked. They both really needed the night out and she was looking forward to it. It would just be the four of them because Adam was taking his wife out and Stefan, who sometimes joined them, had another engagement, most likely something to do with the local seethe.

Ben finished his work, shut his computer down, and lifted his gaze to his mate. "Hey babe, everything okay?" he asked at the odd look on her face.

"Mmhm, just enjoying watching you," she replied. "So, what genre do you think Kyle is going to go with tonight? Old black and white, new age horror? Maybe a melodrama?"

Ben laughed at the question. "Luna, sweetheart, you know how unpredictable he is. Besides, the last time you asked me that you talked me into a bet that had me washing dishes for a week," he said. "I'm onto you," he teased and moved to kiss her. "Whatever he picks, you know it'll be fun."

Luna stuck her tongue out at him and laughed. "True. Come on, pizza is done. Let's eat and get out of here." The first time she'd made pizza for him, from scratch, he'd sworn off ordering from a pizza joint. Her's was so much better.

************************MT************************

"Luna, darlin', you look like something's bothering you," Warren said later when they were between movies. The first one was an old black and white werewolf themed one the guys had made fun of. He'd noticed she'd been unusually quiet since she and Ben arrived and he was concerned. Kyle and Ben were downstairs getting refills on the popcorn and drinks so he took advantage of the opportunity to check up on her and patted the sofa next to him. "Come and unload whatever it is, I don't like seeing you upset," he added.

Luna thought about it a moment then moved closer to him. She was glad the kitchen was downstairs from the theater room because it meant Ben wouldn't hear her if she kept her voice down. "Ben is only a few positions down from you in the pack. When the thought first popped into my head I couldn't figure out why I would think about that, but now I think its coming from him, through our bond." She sighed softly. "I don't know, but lately I've gotten this feeling that he isn't satisfied with his position. Like, maybe he was settling before because he was new, but now he wants what he feels is his rightful spot. I've seen how violent, and deadly, fights for dominance can be and... I'm scared," she admitted.

"You're worried he'll start challenging those above him and he might die," Warren guessed.

"I am. Or that he'll win and like the killing too much, and lose himself to it," she replied.

Warren hugged her. "I wish there was something I could say to ease your worries but there isn't. I will tell you this though. I don't think he'll lose. I've seen Ben fight, first-hand, and I really don't think he'll lose." A shadow crossed his face as he remembered when he, Ben, Stefan, and Daniel, a vampire friend of Stefan's, were captured by a demon-ridden vampire and forced to fight each other. He'd been left for dead outside of Uncle Mike's and it had taken a lot of healing to get back on his feet. He didn't know if Ben had shared that particular nightmare with Luna. He knew Ben had lost control of his wolf, something he prided himself on not doing, and he'd not only killed Daniel, whom he'd befriended, but he'd partially eaten him as well.

"Maybe not if he challenges Alec or George, but.. Paul is a different story," Luna whispered. She wanted to ask about the look but decided against it. Something told her that was one story she didn't really want to hear, not right now.

"Not even against Paul," Warren countered. "That one will be tough as hell for him, but I've fought Paul, I believe Ben will win against him too. I also don't think he'll lose himself to killing because I think he'll accept a yield. He doesn't want anyone dead, he just wants to be where he feels he should be in the pack structure. There was a time when I might not have thought that, but now he has you and you mean everything to him."

Luna sighed softly. "Thanks. I just hope you're right," she said quietly. By the time Ben and Kyle returned she was sitting where she'd been when they went downstairs. She had to accept that the only thing she could do was wait and if he did issue a challenge, she had to support him even if it scared her.

************************MT************************

On their way home Ben glanced over at her. "You're worried about something," he said simply.

Luna stared out the passenger side window a moment before she turned to look at him. "You're right, Ben, I am. You're not happy, I can feel it. I don't mean with us but... in the pack. You've kept your dominance under wraps since you joined the pack, haven't you? You were a transplant from England, here under the suspicion of having assaulted several women, you just wanted to keep your head down. But you're not happy with that anymore." She sounded surprised even to herself. She'd gotten all of that through their mate bond.

Ben pulled over to the side of the road because he wanted to focus on her. "Ah, luv, I didn't want you getting all of that," he said. "You're right sweetheart, I'm not happy with the pecking order. I know I'm more dominant than Alec, George, and Paul, and it chafes my wolf to have to back down from them. I've seen them all fight, I know I could beat them, but I don't want you upset over a dominance fight."

Luna studied him a moment. Sometimes being mated meant supporting the other even if it upsets you. "If challenging any of them, or all of them, is what you really want to do, what you feel you **need** to do, you have my support, Ben."

He stared at her. "You mean that, don't you?" he asked in surprise.

"I do. I'm your mate. If this is what you feel you need to do, then I support it, even if it terrifies me."

Ben leaned over and kissed her. "Thank you, Luna," he murmured. He got them back on the road headed home and he knew, with Luna's support, he'd be issuing his first challenge soon.

************************MT************************

Several days later Luna was at Pack Central, aka Adam and Mercy's home, when Mercy approached her. "How are things going with you and Ben?" Mercy asked.

"Things are good. I still can't believe he's mine, you know? I mean, I know you haven't always been a fan of Ben's but... he's a good man."

"I know he is. He's come a long way since he first came here, and even more since you came into his life." Mercy paused a moment to think about how to phrase what she was thinking then went with blunt honesty. "Listen, I overheard him talking with Warren. I know he plans on challenging Alec this weekend. I have been where you are right now so if you want to talk, I'm here, okay?" Mercy told her.

Luna paled a little. "This weekend?" she asked. "I didn't... I knew he was thinking about it but I didn't know it would be so soon. What if things go badly?" she asked and her voice was tinged with fear.

"If, by some stroke of luck, Alec wins he'll let Ben yield and I know, for your sake, Ben will do it even if he doesn't want to. You mean that much to him, Luna," Mercy replied.

"I really hope you're right," Luna said softly.

Mercy didn't want to say this next part but Luna needed to be prepared. "Honestly, the only one you have to worry about is Paul, if Ben takes it that far. Alec and George, they'll be easy for Ben to take on but Paul... he and Ben are really close in strength, skill, and dominance, but Paul has his size going for him. He and Ben might be close to the same height but Paul is bulkier. If Ben goes after Paul's position in the pack, that will be a very tough, possibly brutal, fight. I don't want to scare you but you need to know."

"Warren said pretty much the same thing when I told him about my fears at Bad Movie Night," Luna admitted. "I've seen Paul in the dojo, I know he's... fast,"she added. "How do you do it? How do you stand there and watch your mate fight knowing he could die?" Luna asked softly.

"You do it because it's the only thing you can do, Luna." Auriele caught the end of their conversation and having been through it many times with her own mate as well, she felt compelled to comment. "I know that's not what you wanted to hear but its the truth. The only thing you can do is support them and hope for the best," she added.

Mercy nodded. "Auriele's right. It's hard as hell to do, but it's the only choice you have."

Luna closed her eyes. "I hate this but I know you're both right." She would have to be strong and when he finally faced off against Paul, because she knew he would, she would have to say a prayer that she wouldn't lose him and hope her prayer was answered.


	2. Chapter Two

**A/N:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others. Also, I tend to get long-winded, so some of my chapters may be long, no, not may be, will be. You have been warned.

 **P.S.** As I have two other stories going, Taming the Beast Within and Healing the Wounds of Time, over in the Alpha and Omega universe, updating will be slow, but know that I am diligently working on all of my fics and will not let them 'die'.

Now, without further ado, on with the story!

************************MT************************

Saturday came and Luna was so stressed she felt physically ill from it. She took deep breaths and told herself it would all be fine. When her phone rang she jumped and shook her head at herself. So much for calming her nerves with deep breathing. A glance at the number almost had her groaning. She knew she shouldn't have told Anna about the fight, she was **bound** to tell Sage about it.

"What is that man of yours thinking?" Sage asked as soon as Luna answered. "Doesn't he have **any** idea what it would do to you if he died, or is his ego too damn big to care?" she growled.

"Sage, calm down," Luna said softly. "He cares about how it would affect me. The **only** reason he issued a challenge is because I told him I supported him. You're a dominant wolf, can't you understand how he feels? I've heard your complaints about how females get their pack position from their mates, or the lack there of, and its not fair to put a dominant wolf at the bottom just because they're female," she pointed out.

That took some of the proverbial wind from her sails and Sage sighed. "Fine, fine, but I wish you'd told me. I would have requested permission to be there on the grounds that you're family to me."

Luna smiled a little. "I admit I'm really stressed but really this should be an easy fight for him." She bit her lip a moment. "If he challenges Paul, though, I might take you up on that."

"Let me know how the fight goes, okay?" Sage said. "And let me know if he does challenge this Paul. I'll talk to Bran to get a visit all worked out. Love you girl," she added.

"I will. Love you too, gotta go," Luna replied and hung up.

By the time they got in the truck Luna had gotten her nerves under control. Ben had made the official challenge the night before but the fight was scheduled for late that afternoon so most of the pack could be there to watch it.

When they got to the dojo Luna stood at the edge of the mat and tried to not look as nervous as she felt. She was grateful when Mercy and Warren came to stand with her. "Kyle said to tell you to have faith in your man," Warren said near her ear. "He wanted to be here for you but he understood he couldn't since he's not pack, or werewolf, and I'm not the one fighting," he added.

"I can't help but be scared something is going to go wrong," she replied quietly.

"That's natural, darlin', but Kyle's right, have faith in your man," Warren replied.

At the specified time for the fight Adam stepped onto the mat. "Ben has challenged Alec for his position in the pack and Alec has accepted. All of you know the rules. No one is allowed onto the mats until the fight is over. Anyone trying to interfere will be dealt with immediately. Fight is to the death with the winner having the option to accept a yield."

"Agreed," Ben and Alec said at the same time.

The fight started and Luna gripped Warren's arm. She hated dominance fights anyway but this time it was so much worse because it was **her** mate fighting.

Mercy was right though. The fight, though brutal, didn't last long. When Alec realized he couldn't win he yielded and Ben accepted, which made Luna sigh in relief. The fight hadn't been as bad as it could have been and she was already a wreck. The worst part was, she was going to have to go through this two more times. How in the world was she going to stay sane?

Ben moved to Luna and wrapped his arms around her. He heard a soft sob come from her and his arms tightened. "It's alright, I'm okay. I told you you didn't need to worry," he murmured.

"You're my mate, of course I'm going to worry," she replied.

Ben kissed the top of her head. "I know sweetheart, I know."

Luna saw George watching them. He looked... troubled to her and she wondered if he suspected he was next.

Ben's injuries were minor and before they left to go home the wounds had already healed. Still, when they got home Luna pampered him. She refused to think about the other two fights she knew were coming. She'd have to deal with them soon enough.

***********************MT************************

On Wednesday afternoon, when she had a break between her classes, she met up with Kyle for lunch. The weather was cooling off, fall was approaching, and it amazed her how different it was in Washington. If she'd been back in Aspen Creek she would have been walking down snow-covered sidewalks already.

"Hello fair Luna," Kyle said and kissed her cheek when she arrived at the cafe not far from campus. He'd already snagged them a table and helped with her chair. "How does it feel to be a teacher?" he asked once they were sitting.

"Hey Kyle. It feels amazing, which is really funny. I mean, I never thought about teaching before, but when I saw the position, I just had to go for it. I am definitely in my element," she replied.

"I can tell. You are positively glowing," he said. "Warren tells me all went well Saturday and that there's a good chance for a repeat this weekend?" Not mentioning specifics was important since neither Ben nor Luna was out as a werewolf yet.

"He hasn't said anything yet but.. yeah, I think there will be a repeat this weekend and another soon after. That one will be the last, and the hardest. I'd say you're lucky you don't have to deal with it but we both know it **could** happen at some point." Ben wouldn't challenge Warren. Not just because h **e knew** Warren would wipe the floor with him, but because they were friends and Ben really didn't want his position any way. But Warren had already been challenged by Paul. If another member of the pack moved up the ranks they could challenge him too.

"I try not to think about that too much darling." In between chatting they ordered their food and kept talking while they ate.

Luna watched as Kyle opened his briefcase and set a folder on the table and she arched a brow at him. "What's that?" she asked curiously.

Kyle studied her for a moment before he answered. "It's something for you." He pulled a photo out of it but he didn't show it to her right away. "Do you remember when we were in the Canaries and you told me about your family? You told me that they let you live with pack members because they didn't know how to help you with what you were, and they're still distant with you because they still don't know how to deal with it even after all this time?"

Luna frowned at the question. "Yes, I remember. Now you've got me worried. What's this about, Kyle?"

He set the photo on the table so they could both see it. "This is your step-father, correct?" he asked, pointing to one of two men in the photo, and Luna nodded. "And this man, who is he?" he asked about the other man. He knew but he didn't know if she did.

"That's his younger brother, Miles. What's going on Kyle? Why do you have a photo of my step-father and his brother?" What she didn't know was that Miles was actually the older of the two.

"This isn't easy to say Luna. The werewolf that attacked you, it was this man," he said, pointing. "It was your step-father's brother."

Luna stared at him. "That's not funny Kyle."

"I'm not joking. Your step-father knew about werewolves and he knew, after the fact, that it was his brother who attacked you. Think about it, when was the last time you saw his brother? Before or after your attack?"

Luna felt sick. "Before," she said softly.

"The reason it was so easy for your old Alpha to convince your parents to let you join the pack and live with a pack member was because your mother was the only one who needed convincing."

"How do you know all this Kyle?" Luna asked. She was numb. Her step-father knew her attacker and did nothing about it. No, worse than that, he covered it up and protected him from retribution.

"Something felt off when you told me your parents let you leave home at thirteen after your attack. It's not normal. So I did some digging. If I need information, no matter how obscure, I have some of the best private investigators in the country on retainer."

"Does anyone else know about this?" she asked quietly.

"No, I haven't told Warren," he replied because he knew that was what she meant by 'anyone else'. "I felt it would be a betrayal of your trust. I'm giving this to you for you to decide what you want to do with it." He put the photo back in the folder and slid the folder to her. It had several documents inside verifying what he'd told her, including a letter from her step-father that was addressed to his brother.

"Thank you, Kyle," she said. What would she do with the information? She wasn't sure.

"Of course darling, we're family, and family **should** look out for each other," he replied.

Before she knew it she had to get back to campus. They walked outside together and Kyle hugged her and kissed her cheek. "If you decide to not tell anyone your secret is safe with me darling," he told her.

That made Luna laugh a little. "You are probably the only person I know of who really means it when they say that."

************************MT************************

The last two classes of the day seemed to drag out. By the time she headed home Luna still didn't know what to do about the information Kyle had given her. The more she thought about it the more her anxiety rose. Luna felt a panic attack coming and managed to get off the road so she didn't get herself hit by another car. The world blacked out and by the time she could breathe normally again she found herself blinking up into Ben's face. "Ben?" She was confused. Where had he come from?

"Thank god, Luna, you scared the hell out of me luv," Ben replied and there was a growl to his voice.

She watched as his eyes slowly changed from wolf gold to his normal warm brown. "What... I'm confused, what are you doing here?"

"I was on my way home when I felt your panic hit me with the force of a Mack truck and I couldn't get to you fast enough. I'm glad I didn't pass any cops, that could have gone badly. What happened baby?" His hands roamed over her while he talked because he had to be sure she wasn't hurt.

Luna stared at her mate and it all came pouring out. She told him everything Kyle had told her, including the fact that her step-father **knew** his brother was the one who'd attacked her and he'd done nothing about it.

Ben listened and his wolf roared in his head. It didn't matter that it happened long before they'd met, this man **betrayed** her trust and he needed to pay for it. He had to force his wolf down to speak. "We'll take this to Adam and the wolf who attacked you will finally be punished," he swore. He pulled her close and held her. "We'll get your car towed to the house. I'm not letting you drive, not with how shaken up you still are." He gently guided her over to his truck then called to have her car picked up.

On the way home Ben called Adam's cellphone. He knew Adam was still in a meeting but he could leave a message. "Hey, Adam, let me know when you're headed home. There's something Luna and I need to talk to you about. It's wolf business," he said and hung up.

Ben helped Luna into the house, paid the tow truck driver for bringing her car to them, then joined his mate on the sofa. He held her and when he felt her shaking he knew she was crying quietly. There were no words he could give to make it better so he just held her.

Half an hour later Ben's phone rang. "I'm on my way home now. I'll have Darryl and Warren meet us there," he said. Wolf business meant his second and third needed to be there.

"We're on our way then," Ben replied. He helped Luna into the truck and he couldn't help worrying because she seemed so fragile.

As soon as they were moving Luna pulled out her phone and made a call.

"I'm om my way now, Luna darlin'," Warren said when he answered.

"I need you to go back and get Kyle. What I have to say, there might be questions I can't answer but he can. Please, Warren," she said.

"That'll chafe Darryl, having someone who isn't pack there. Should be fun. We'll see you at Adam's in a bit," Warren replied and went back for his mate. Luna said she needed Kyle there then by god he'd be there. And Darryl would just have to get over it.

Luna stared out the window as they drove through Kennewick and into Finley. She was still trying to process it all. She'd never known her real father, he'd never been a part of her life. Her step-father was the only father she knew and she just learned that he'd betrayed her. He was supposed to protect her and instead he'd protected the monster who'd attacked her. He then made sure she never figured it out on her own by making sure their paths didn't cross again by getting her out of the house. She wondered, did her mother know? Or was she being kept in the dark too?

Luna and Ben pulled into Adam's about the same time Warren and Kyle did. "Do you want me to do the talking?" Ben asked.

"No, I think I can do it," she replied. She slipped her hand into his as they headed to the door and inside.

Darryl cocked a brow when he saw Kyle. "Since when do we bring human mates to discuss werewolf business?"

"Since Luna requested Kyle be here," Warren replied.

"Enough," Adam said before Darryl could respond. He turned and led them into the kitchen. If there'd been more people he would have used a bigger room, but it looked to him like their submissive wolf was shaken up by something important and he wanted her sitting so she could calm down. No one said anything as they watched Adam fix a cup of cocoa and set it in front of Luna. "What's this about Luna?" he asked her gently.

Mercy slipped into the room and moved to sit next to Adam when he took a seat at the table. Slowly everyone else sat and all eyes turned to Luna.

Luna swallowed before she began. "I had a big enough break between classes today that I was able to meet up with Kyle at a cafe near campus for lunch. He, um, gave me some information he found... about the wolf that attacked me," she started. "He... he was..." She thought she could do this, that she could tell them the facts as if it didn't matter, but her voice faltered and she started to panic.

Ben moved closer to her and slipped his arm around her. Before he could pick up the story Kyle beat him to it.

"The werewolf who attacked our fair Luna was her step-father's brother. Now, you may be asking yourself 'Why did Kyle look into that?'. Its simple, really. When we were in the Canaries, Luna and I talked about our respective families. I told her mine disowned me and she told me hers was distant because they still didn't know how to deal with what she was. She also told me that, after the attack, her old Alpha convinced them that it would be better if she lived with a pack member. Now, I don't know about all of you, but it struck me as very strange that her parents would allow their thirteen year old **child** to live with complete strangers. They didn't know anything about the pack, they didn't know if the attack was deliberate so they could try to get a young female in their midst, after all there are some sick people in this world. And yet, they let her move out of their home and in with someone who could have hurt her? And in the end, did hurt her? It didn't feel right to me so I did some digging."

"How did you find out who it was?" Adam asked.

"One of the advantages to being the best divorce attorney in this state is I have connections. Sometimes the most obscure information can be the downfall of a client's estranged spouse. I happen to have some of the best private investigators in the country on retainer and I put them on the case."

Ben finally cut in. "Her step-father knew it was his brother who attacked her, Adam," he growled. "He **knew** and instead of protecting the child he claimed to love he chose to put her in harm's way in order to protect his brother." Everyone sitting at that table knew what had happened in her old pack, they knew she'd been abused and the ones responsible were dealt with.

"You know this for a fact?" This came from Darryl. He wasn't a man prone to a lot of emotion but there was a growl in his voice as well. Luna was a submissive, and she'd been a child, how could the man look himself in the mirror knowing what he'd done?

Luna nodded and took the letter out of the folder. "It's a letter, from my step-father to his brother. In it he tells him that he got me out of the house and in with the local pack so that there was no chance of me figuring out the truth."

Adam pulled his phone out. This was something that needed to be handled by the Marrok.

"Adam. To what do I owe this phone call?" Bran asked and everyone heard it.

Adam quickly explained what Luna, with Kyle's help, had just told them. "I assume, given the letter, her attacker is a lone wolf. The question is, how many others has he attacked since then?" he added.

"Give Luna the phone," Bran said and he waited until he heard her quiet 'Bran?' before he spoke again. "I'm glad you trusted your Alpha with this. You have come a long way, my dear, from the scared girl you were the first time we met. The wolf who wronged you when you were a child will be dealt with. Do you want him to know exactly who it is that sent Charles after him?" he asked.

In a rare moment of anger Luna growled. "Yes."

"Good girl," Bran said and hung up.

Luna blushed a little at the looks she got from the others and when Mercy moved to her and hugged her she breathed in the scent of pack, Alpha, safety, and felt better.

"Someone's wolf is very angry right now," Warren drawled. "We're going to get on out of here, unless you still need us?" he added.

"No, I think we're done," Adam replied. He turned his attention to Luna. "I'm sorry this happened Luna, but the wolf, at least, will finally pay for his crimes."

************************MT************************

When they got home and finally crawled into bed that night Ben watched Luna sleep. He would wait until he knew the werewolf was taken care of and then he was going to have a little chat with Luna's step-father, even if he had to go all the way to New Orleans to do it.


	3. Chapter Three

**A/N:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others. Also, I tend to get long-winded, so some of my chapters may be long, no, not may be, will be. You have been warned.

 **P.S.** As I have two other stories going, Taming the Beast Within and Healing the Wounds of Time, over in the Alpha and Omega universe, updating will be slow, but know that I am diligently working on all of my fics and will not let them 'die'.

 **P.P.S.** This chapter is focused not on Luna and Ben, themselves, but the aftermath of the revelation that Luna's attacker was her step-father's brother. I debated on writing it out and, with a little input from another wonderful writer, Imaginationqueen87 (she writes in many different genres so I urge you to check out her works. They're fun to read!), I decided to go for it. Also, some events in the chapter are thanks to my muse deciding to really go into hyper-drive as I have ideas for Samuel, Sage, Kara, and now Charles/Anna (which is in part due to my muse, partly due to Dead Heat, and partly Imaginationqueen87's fault, sort of, because of her stories Hidden Hearts, Snow Trouble, and Whispers of the Past, all of which focus on her character, SeoHyun, who has been adopted by Charles and Anna and it has inspired my muse) all of which keep bouncing around in my head and I am working on finding the time to start on each one.

Now, without further ado, on with the story!

***********************MT************************

Charles didn't always like his role as his father's enforcer, especially now that werewolves were out to the world. Offenses that, once upon a time, would have garnered a warning now required harsher punishments. But sometimes he relished his job. Sometimes he and Brother Wolf were of the same mind and they looked forward to the hunt and the kill. This was one of those times.

He flew to a small, private airstrip not far from New Orleans. When he'd informed the new Alpha there that he was coming, the Alpha offered any assistance he could. It had only been five years since Charles Cornick came down to New Orleans on behalf of their former female pack member, meted out justice against the wolves who'd abused her, and removed their Alpha from his position. The only reason the old Alpha wasn't killed was because he'd been kept in the dark about the sexual abuse of the then minor pack member. That was the problem with submissive wolves. If a dominant wolf gave them an order it could only be over ridden by a more dominant wolf, or their Alpha, and Luna had never given any indication that there was a problem for the Alpha **to** order her to tell him about.

Rene Brion, pronounced Bree-own, thank you very much, waited patiently as the small Cessna landed and taxied toward the hanger. Truth be told, Rene was always suspicious of the attack, so close to pack territory, that had led to Luna joining their pack at thirteen, especially since it seemed the rogue who'd attacked her managed to evade the pack. He couldn't help but wonder, now, had the old Alpha known about the lone wolf in their territory and allowed him to remain?

Several times since he'd become Alpha he'd caught the lone wolf's scent on the edge of pack territory but there'd never been a problem, as far as he'd known, with the wolf so he let him be.

When Charles exited the plane Rene approached, met his eyes briefly, then lowered his gaze. He was an alpha but Charles Cornick was the more dominant wolf. He was the second most dominant wolf in North America and Rene had no desire to get on his bad side. "Welcome to the Bayou Pack territory," he said and met Charles' eyes again for a moment. "My wolves are out looking for the lone wolf now. He stays in the general area, just on the edge of our territory, but he moves around a bit. They will let me know as soon as he has been found."

"Good. Once he's found, you and your pack are to stay out of it. I will not hesitate to kill anyone who tries to interfere with the Marrok's justice. Is that clear?"

"Crystal," Rene replied. He hesitated a moment. "How is Luna?" he asked. She'd been a sweet kid and he'd felt revulsion when he learned what had been happening to her.

Charles looked at him. "She's good. She has a new pack with an Alpha who cares about the welfare of his entire pack and pack members who look out for each other. She's happy."

"That's good. She deserves it after all that happened. I won't ask you to send her my regards, I doubt she wants anything from any of us here." He led Charles to his truck. "We'll go to pack headquarters and wait for the call to come in that the lone wolf has been found," he added.

Charles just nodded. Anna had wanted to come on this trip but he'd left her home because her gifts wouldn't be helpful this time and really he didn't want her to see any more of his darker side than she already had. He was silent for the entire ride. Brother Wolf was anxious for the hunt to really begin. He wanted to taste their enemy's blood. This rogue had attacked a child and left her for dead, that was an unforgivable act.

They were almost to the pack house when Rene's phone rang. "Do you have him?" he asked after glancing at the number.

"Yeah, he's in a shack about five miles southeast of our hunting ground. I caught his scent there and followed it."

"Don't engage. If he leaves follow him and keep me informed."

"Why not engage?" He was a newer wolf, he'd not been there when Luna left.

"Because we have orders from the Marrok's enforcer not to. If you want to face off with the second most feared wolf in North America..."

"No, no sir. No engaging here," the wolf replied.

"Smart man. We'll be there soon." He hung up and headed in that direction.

************************MT************************

Miles Prescott had a problem. Before he became the monster that he was now he'd been a different kind of monster. The kind that preyed on young, shy girls. The kind of girls that were easily manipulated into believing that it was okay to touch him and let him touch them. He'd gone to jail for it once before and he'd been ordered into counseling for his 'problem'. He'd convinced himself that it worked and maybe it did, until the attack that turned him into a werewolf. Maybe it was the monster inside that made it so hard to resist his urges.

And then he met Luna Rose. His younger brother got re-married to a sweet woman named Susan Rose. The first time he'd laid eyes on Luna he'd lusted after her. She was this pretty little red haired, green eyed girl who had such an air of innocence about her. She was tiny, shy, and submissive, all the things he'd always been drawn to.

When he heard she was going camping with his niece, Mandy, and her friends, and that they would be outside of local pack territory, he just **had** to follow them. He watched from a distance until that last day. In his own twisted mind he'd envisioned changing her and making her **his** , then he'd have a sweet little girl all his own.

It didn't work that way then. There were too many obstacles. But this time was different. Juliana was an orphan. She hated her foster home, they mistreated her because she was a mulatto, an often derogatory term used there in the Louisiana bayou for a person of mixed race. Her mama was black creole and her daddy was a half breed from a Choctaw father and white mother. They'd died in a car accident that left her with no family and a scar across her chest and collar bone that made her feel ugly. She'd been so easy to lure out there to his shack. He'd told her how pretty she was to him, promised her he'd protect her and never let anyone hurt her again. He'd waited until she was asleep before he undressed and changed. Then he attacked and now he waited and watched as her injuries, injuries that should have killed her, slowly began to heal.

************************MT************************

Rene stopped the truck far enough away that the rogue wouldn't hear their approach and flee. When they reached the pack member who was keeping watch he motioned to the shack as if to ask 'He still in there?' The other wolf gave a quick nod. Rene motioned him back, they would stay well out of Charles Cornick's way. Several other members were on their way to help with the clean up once it was over.

************************MT************************

As Brother Wolf came closer to the surface Charles' eyes changed color. He slipped silently through the underbrush and approached the shack. "Miles Prescott, show yourself." His voice was a growl. Brother Wolf was anxious to avenge their former pack member.

************************MT************************

Inside the shack Miles jumped at the sudden voice then growled. He wasn't in pack territory, they had no control here. He didn't realize it wasn't the local Alpha calling him out. He'd seen the wolf before but he'd never heard his voice to know better. "I'll be right back sweet girl," he said to the still unconscious Juliana before he went to the door and stepped out. "You don't have any control here Alpha of the Bayou Pack, I'm outside your territory," he said haughtily then frowned. "You're not the Alpha."

"No, I'm not. Miles Prescott you have been found guilty of attacking a child and forcing the change on her," Charles said.

For a second Miles thought the other wolf knew what was in the shack. But he couldn't. "I don't know what you're talking about," he replied.

"You should know better than to lie to another werewolf," Charles said simply. "Ten years ago, at a campground not far from here, you attacked a thirteen year old girl. Not just any girl but the daughter of your sister-in-law. Your own brother helped shield you from retribution but that is over. Even as a lone wolf you know the rules and you broke them. Luna Rose has brought the Marrok's justice down on you and you **will** pay for your crimes."

Miles started to sneer at the other wolf but mention of the Marrok stopped him. That meant... He felt cold fear grip him but then he thought about his prize waiting for him and he knew what he had to do. He was dominant enough to be an alpha and it showed in how fast he was able to change.

Charles was waiting for that. His own change was even faster and when the other wolf charged at him he gave Brother Wolf free reign.

Mile got several lucky hits in and he tasted the other wolf's blood. It made him overconfident, he thought he was wrong, this wasn't the Marrok's enforcer, just some lackey they'd sent after him. He was so wrong.

Brother Wolf felt the sting of a few well placed swipes from the other wolf's claws and snarled. When Charles decided it was time to stop playing games Brother Wolf agreed and the fight went from brutal to deadly. Miles was bleeding profusely, stumbling when he tried to attack, and Brother Wolf took the opening that was presented to him. He bit down on Miles' throat and jerked, killing him by ripping his throat out. Brother Wolf shook his head as if to say 'Look what I did', then he dropped it and stepped away from the body. That was when Rene and several of his wolves approached to collect the body to dispose of it.

"Wait." Charles shifted back to human form immediately because he didn't want them touching the body yet. He knelt down, closed his eyes, and breathed in the faint scent that clung to the wolf. A growl trickled out of him as he sat back up.

"What do you smell?" Rene asked.

"A girl. I'm going inside," Charles replied then stood and headed into the shack with the Alpha on his heels.

"Sweet Jesus," Rene said when he saw the small form lying on the cot.

Charles approached the still form. Her chest rose and fell and he heard her heartbeat so he knew she was alive. When he got close enough he could smell wolf, not Miles Prescott's scent, her own. Suddenly a pair of blue-gray eyes were staring up at him.

************************MT************************

Juliana felt herself slowly waking up. Memories rushed in, pain so intense it had made her pass out several times and she'd thought for sure she was going to die. A beast, a monster, looming over her as teeth and claws ripped into her body causing her to scream until she was hoarse from it. Her eyes snapped open to find a strange man watching her and she tried to scramble off the cot she lay on but her body wasn't cooperating. And she was naked, which she only vaguely paid attention to because there was not one but two strange men in the room and she hurt too much to really move. She started to panic and her breathing became erratic.

"Easy, it's alright, you're safe now. No one is going to hurt you," Charles said as gently as he could. Now he was wishing he'd agreed to let Anna come along after all.

"That's what he said too, and then he... he changed into that thing..." Her voice trailed off as she started to hyperventilate.

"I know. But he's dead, he can't hurt you anymore." Charles moved slowly and knelt down so he was lower than the girl. He was the second most dominant werewolf in all of North America and he was taking a submissive position to make a child feel safer. The girl wouldn't understand it but her wolf would. Her wolf wouldn't feel so threatened. He could feel her submissiveness and he immediately wanted to wrap her in a cocoon to keep her safe.

Juliana stared at this large man who was being... gentle. He was clearly Native American, he reminded her a little of her papa before he'd died. "He... he said he'd take care of me, he said I'd never have to go back to them... why did he hurt me?" she asked in a hoarse whisper.

Tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks and Charles couldn't stop himself. He gathered the child into his arms and rocked her gently while she cried. "He was a bad man but you're safe now. **I** won't let any harm come to you little one," he murmured. "Didn't have to go back to who?" he asked gently.

"My... foster parents,' she replied after a moment. "They're... not very nice, not to me, and he said he could take me away from them so they couldn't hurt me ever again."

"Where are your parents little one?" Again he kept his voice gentle.

"They died...three years ago, when I was nine. I don't have anyone," she whispered brokenly.

Brother Wolf growled in his head. That put the girl at twelve years old. She was just a baby and that bastard hurt her. "Yes, you do. You have me. You aren't alone now little one and you don't have to go back to those people." He pulled out his phone and made a call. "Da, the rogue is taken care of but there's a kink in the plan we couldn't have anticipated. He'd attacked another child, an orphan. She survived. We need to get guardianship passed from her foster parents to me, immediately, so I can bring her home where she'll be safe."

************************MT************************

Bran was waiting by the phone when Charles called. He'd had no doubt his son would succeed. What he hadn't expected was to find another child was attacked and changed as well. Even more surprising was that Charles had decided to take the child in himself. There was no other reason why he would want guardianship passed to him, immediately, unless he intended to take the child into his and Anna's home. "I see. What is the child's name and who are her foster parents?" he asked in mild amusement.

************************MT************************

Juliana heard the question and lifted her head from where she'd had it pressed against Charles' shoulder while she cried. "Juliana.. Juliana Lawson. My foster parents are Theodore and Allison Redding of New Orleans. They live on Forstall Street, in the Lower Ninth Ward, just over from Lee Playground," she said quietly.

"Get that Da?" Charles asked.

"I did. I will have it taken care of," Bran replied and hung up.

Juliana frowned. "I... don't understand," she said softly.

"The creature that attacked you," Charles started.

"It.. he was a werewolf, wasn't he?" she asked. She knew werewolves were real, everyone did now. When the man nodded she frowned. "Am I?" she asked and there was fear in her voice.

Charles made a comforting sound in the back of his throat. "You are, little one, but its okay. You're not alone. Once my Da has it all sorted out, you will come back to Aspen Creek, Montana and join our pack. Yes, I'm a werewolf too, as is my Da. You will have a family who will take care of you." Brother Wolf was already claiming the child as his pup, he wouldn't let anyone hurt her.

It was too much for her to process right away but that was okay because, as often happened right after waking the first time after surviving an attack, Juliana passed out again. They needed to get her away from that shack and get her where she could eat when she woke up again. Charles noticed she was naked under the sheet and he had to stop Brother Wolf from growling at the thought she might have been violated while she was healing, or before she'd been attacked. He scooped her up with the sheet wrapped around her and he really didn't want to think about what the sick bastard might have done while she was unconscious. He snagged what appeared to be her bag, he saw a girl's shirt hanging out of it, and then carried her out to Rene's truck.

Rene was puzzled by Charles' reaction to the child but said nothing. He just drove them to pack headquarters and saw that food was ready for the girl when she finally woke up again.

************************MT************************

The next time Juliana awoke it was warm, chocolate brown eyes that locked with Charles' darker ones before lowering submissively. Her stomach growled so loudly she was embarrassed by it.

"It's alright little one, there's no need to be embarrassed. Our kind has to eat more, and more often, because just **being** a werewolf burns a lot of energy," Charles said and brought a tray of food to her. He also set the bag on the bed. "I will let you get dressed so you can eat," he said and headed for the door. "Let me know when you're done so we can talk."

"Who are you?" Juliana finally asked.

"Charles Cornick," he replied and slipped out of the room. While she'd been asleep Bran got everything settled and Charles talked with his mate who was, at that moment, getting the second bedroom cleared out so that Juliana would have somewhere to sleep. She would get to choose how to redecorate her bedroom herself once she got settled in. They'd talked about the possibility of adopting recently, well it was happening a lot sooner than they planned but Anna was completely on board with it.

Juliana dressed quickly, because she didn't want to be alone, and as she settled down to eat she called out. "You can come back in now."

Charles entered and took the chair near the bed. "Everything was taken care of while you were asleep. Is there anything you need at your foster parents' home?" he asked.

"No, I took my stuff when I ran away," she said and looked down. "What's really going to happen now?" she asked and chewed on her bottom lip.

"Well, I already told you, you'll be joining our pack. You also will be living with my wife, my mate, Anna and I. You won't be alone anymore little one. And you won't ever be mistreated again. Aspen Creek is different from most places. The humans there know all about us, Anna likes to describe us as one big family. And it fits. We look out for each other. As soon as you're ready to go, we'll leave. You have my word, little one, no harm will come to you again," he informed her. He felt her relax. Anna had told him that there was something about him that told those who were lesser dominant, submissives and the like, that he was safe, that he would keep them safe and let nothing hurt them. He saw the truth of that when this child, who had just gone through the worst thing imaginable, looked at him with so much trust in her eyes. It humbled him. Charles had no idea just how much Juliana was going to change his and Anna's lives, but he knew those changes would no doubt be for the better. As soon as she was done eating they were on their way back to Aspen Creek and whatever the future had planned for them.


	4. Chapter Four

**A/N:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others. Also, I tend to get long-winded, so some of my chapters may be long, no, not may be, will be. You have been warned.

********************MT********************

It was Thursday afternoon and Luna was pacing the small living room of the house she shared with Ben. She'd spent every spare moment earlier in the day checking her phone to make sure she hadn't missed any calls from Bran. She knew it was silly to worry. She knew Charles was more than capable of handling the rogue who'd attacked her when she was a child. But what if he couldn't find him? What if she'd wasted his time?

Ben had come home early from work because she was so stressed out and half an hour ago he'd tried to get her to relax. It hadn't worked. "Luna, sweetheart, you're worrying yourself sick. It's all going to be fine. He's going to find the rogue and he's going to make him pay."

Luna sighed and moved to join him on the sofa. "I'm sorry, I know it's stupid to worry. Charles has been doing this for a long time," she said and bit her lip.

"That's not what you're really worried about, is it?" Ben asked.

Luna shook her head. "Not really, no," she admitted. "I'm worried about what all of this might do to my mom. She's always been so happy, how can I take that away form her?"

"Are you saying you don't want to confront them about it?" Ben asked gently.

"I... honestly don't know,"she replied.

"You don't have to decide right now, honey," he pointed out. "Just give yourself time to think about it. Besides, you can always just confront him without telling your mother what he did."

Luna blinked. "I hadn't thought about that, but you're right."

When her phone rang and she realized it was Bran calling she took a deep breath to steady her nerves then answered. "Hello?"

"It is done. The rogue who attacked you will never attack another child again," Bran said.

"Thank you for calling and letting me know," Luna said and frowned. The way he'd said it was odd and she started to question him but stopped herself. She wasn't sure she wanted to know if he'd hurt another child like he'd hurt her.

"You're welcome." And then, to prove he knew her well from her time spent in the Marrok pack, he added, "Give it some time for things to settle and when you are ready to confront your stepfather Adam and Rene will take care of arrangements and you can take whomever you feel most comfortable with when you go."

There were tears in Luna's eyes at that. "Thank you, Bran," she said sincerely.

"Take care of her pup," he said because he knew her mate would be at her side and hear him.

"I plan to, sir," Ben replied.

Luna hung up and leaned into Ben. "Please don't challenge George this weekend," she said softly.

"I wasn't planning on it sweetheart," he replied. "You've been stressed out enough, I'm not going to add to it right now."

"Thank you." She felt exhausted and knew it was from the stress.

Ben kissed her temple and decided to pamper her a bit. "Why don't you go soak in the tub and let me worry about dinner," he suggested.

"Are you sure?" Luna asked.

"Positive," Ben said and kissed her. "Go take a bubble bath, I got this," he added.

Luna smiled a little and went to fill the tub. When she eased into the hot water and scooted down until her chin almost touched the bubbles she had to admit it felt nice.

While Luna relaxed in the tub Ben cooked steaks on the grill, baked potatoes, steamed broccoli, and rolls. It wasn't anything fancy but it didn't need to be. He did break out his dessert-making skills and made strawberry shortcake for dessert.

By the time dinner was done Luna was out of the tub and dressed in cotton lounge pants and a tank top. "Dinner smells really good," she said. She went to him as he finished with dessert and wrapped her arms around him from behind. She pressed her cheek against his back and sighed softly. "You were right, I needed that," she admitted.

Ben turned so he could wrap her in his embrace. "I'm glad it helped luv. Whatever you need, you know if it's in my power to give it to you I will."

"I know Ben," she replied.

They ate dinner, which she enjoyed immensely, and watched TV until it was time for bed. Ben watched her sleep for some time. He knew that once the shock wore off she was going to want to confront her stepfather and he was personally looking forward to putting the fear of god into the bastard.

********************MT********************

Ben kept his word. He didn't challenge George that weekend. In fact, he waited several weeks before he decided to make the official challenge. Luna was a little calmer, a little more prepared for this one. She watched the fight, it was a little bloodier than the one with Alec because George was a little better fighter. She heard the crack of bone when George landed a hard kick to Ben's side and winced. She knew a rib was cracked but it would heal. The injury seemed to egg Ben on and his attacks became more vicious. When the fight finally ended, with Ben the victor, she felt relieved. From the corner of her eye she saw the look Paul gave Ben and she felt a spark of fear. She knew, from the look on his face, that if Paul won the fight he wouldn't accept the yield.

Warren, who was standing next to her, smelled her fear. "Luna, darlin', what's wrong?"

"If Ben loses the next one I'm going to lose him," she whispered. "Paul isn't going to accept a yield from him."

"What makes you say that?"

"The look he gave Ben just now. He'll kill him if he can. Is there history between them I don't know about?" she asked.

Warren thought about it. "Only thing I can figure is it might have something to do with this mess we had with a demon-ridden vampire. Ben and I helped Stephan and another vampire with that. Maybe Paul thinks he should have been chosen, not that we were chosen, we volunteered, but even so I wouldn't trust him at my back, not entirely." He gave Luna a gentle hug. "The only thing we can do is hope Ben wins so it's not an issue," he added. There was little comfort his his words, he knew, but it was all he could offer.

Luna wanted to scream, or maybe beg Ben to not challenge Paul, but she did neither. When Mary Jo decided he didn't need any serious medical attention and let him go Luna went to him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Hey babe, what's wrong?" Ben asked because he could tell she was upset when what he should have been feeling from her was relief.

Luna just shook her head. She wouldn't lie to him but she couldn't tell him either. "I just want to go home," she said softly, evading the question.

"Sure honey," he said. He kept his arm around her and escorted her out to the truck. He'd wait a few weeks more before he challenged Paul. Maybe she just needed some time to process everything that had happened. Plus he knew she would have finals coming up soon enough, making sure her students did well on it was no doubt stressing her further.

********************MT********************

Three weeks went by without Ben challenging Paul and Luna allowed herself to believe, for just a moment, that he'd changed his mind. But no, she knew better. He was being considerate of her emotional state after finding out the identity of the rogue who'd attacked her when she was a child coupled with the stress of the two fights he'd already had and finals coming up at the college.

A week after she'd sent Charles to New Orleans she got a call from Anna. Anna told her about Juliana and she was very glad she'd gone to Adam with the information Kyle had given her. She couldn't imagine what that poor girl's life would have been like otherwise. No, that wasn't true. She could imagine and it was a very ugly fate she'd been rescued from.

Finals week was fast approaching and Luna felt the restlessness coming from her mate. She knew he was going to be challenging Paul any time now. She tried to prepare herself for it but there really is no way to do that. You can't prepare yourself for the possibility of losing your mate, the other half of your soul. It was late afternoon when her phone rang and she saw it was Mercy calling. "Hey Mercy, what's up?" she asked.

"Samuel just called me. He got a call from Anna. There's been an accident, Leah is dead."

Luna was startled by that. "That's... not a good thing," she said. "I take it you're heading to Aspen Creek?"

"No, it isn't and yeah. Samuel is on his way here now."

"Will you give Bran my love and tell him I'm sorry for his loss and I wish I could be there?" Bran was one of the few male werewolves who'd made her feel safe when she first went to Aspen Creek and she thought of him as more than just the Marrok. He'd been family, of a sort, during her time there.

"Of course. I figured you wouldn't be able to go but I also knew you'd want to know," Mercy replied. "Samuel's here, gotta go," she added and hung up.

Ben heard the conversation and went to her. "You okay babe?" He knew she wouldn't be upset about Leah, she'd filled him in on the hateful, selfish bitch, but he knew she respected Bran Cornick a great deal.

Luna sighed and leaned against him. "Yeah, I just wish I could be there for the funeral," she replied. "But with finals coming up I can't."

"What do you say we go for a visit after finals are done?" Ben suggested.

"I'd like that," Luna said and smiled a bit. "The mountains are beautiful all covered in white."

Ben watched her a moment. "Do you ever miss Aspen Creek? I don't mean the people, I mean the town? Like, do you ever think about moving back there?"

Luna shook her head. "Would I like to visit? Definitely, but this is home now."

"What about New Orleans? You'd be closer to your mom then," he said. He wasn't interested in going anywhere but he wanted to be sure his mate didn't have different feelings on the matter.

Again she shook her head. "That stopped being home a long time ago, Ben. It's not even about my old pack. I know the new Alpha. Rene is a good man, he was disgusted when he found out what had happened, but I wouldn't be happy in New Orleans. Maybe one day we could go down for Mardi Gras though."

Ben laughed. "It might be tough on my wolf but if it brought a smile to your face to go then I'd give it a shot."

Luna leaned up and kissed him. "I love you too," she said warmly. "Ben? I have a favor to ask. Before you challenge Paul, let me know it's going to happen with enough time to work it out between Adam and Bran to have Sage here? Please?"

"Of course babe. Why don't you go ahead and talk with Adam about it?" he suggested.

Luna refused to let herself stress out over it. "Okay." It was going to happen, she'd known it was, no sense in freaking out over it now. The only good thing that came from Leah's death was that, out of respect, Ben opted to wait a little longer before issuing the challenge.

********************MT********************

The pack was gathering for a hunt. They were halfway through the moon's cycle, it was half full, and even though the sun hadn't fully set yet she could feel the moon's call. She approached Adam and waited for him to finish his conversation with Warren before she spoke. "Adam, can I speak with you for a moment, please?"

"Of course, Luna. Is everything okay?" he asked. Both he and Warren felt her unease.

Luna blushed a little at the concern. She still had trouble sometimes with keeping her emotions in check. "So far, yes," she replied. "Um.. Ben is going to be challenging Paul soon and I'd like to make a request of you and Bran. Sage Carhardt, she's a member of the Marrok pack, is like family to me. I'd like to petition that she be allowed to be here for the fight in case... in case things go badly," she said and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't hide her fear. She **knew** Ben was the more dominant werewolf but as Warren had already pointed out, Paul had more bulk, more muscle, and that could make a difference in a fight.

Warren put his arm around her to comfort her. "I think it's a good idea boss. It's someone, besides pack, that Luna and her wolf are connected to, it could help her to hold on if things go south."

Darryl overheard the conversation. Normally he was a stickler for the rules. Someone not pack, under normal conditions, wasn't allowed at a dominance fight unless it was their mate fighting. But they all still remembered the emptiness, the void they'd all felt with Peter's death. Luna had become the heart of the pack, she helped give them balance, even Darryl didn't want to go through that hell again. "I second the idea," he said, stepping up.

Having the three most dominant wolves in the pack so close to her helped calm her some. Luna smiled a little at that. She'd come a long way in the months she'd been there. When she'd first joined the pack this would have increased her unease, not helped it.

"I'll speak with Bran and get it arranged," Adam said after a moment.

"Thank you," Luna said and went to rejoin her mate.

"Everything settled?" Ben asked and Luna nodded. Soon the sounds of werewolves shifting filled the air. Ben was finished before Luna and he stood over her to make sure no one bothered her. Not that anyone would, but it was instinct.

********************MT********************

The pack started the hunt as one large group but soon they split up into smaller groups. Ben, Luna, and Warren made up one small group. They were an hour into the hunt when Luna, who was trailing behind her mate and Warren, stopped. She'd heard a noise in some nearby underbrush, just beyond some thick bushes, but she wasn't sure at first **what** she'd heard. Her ears shifted, trying to catch the sound, and she sniffed the air but the slight breeze was blowing the wrong way for her to catch a scent. When she heard it again she whined. It sounded like something was in pain. If it was an animal she would put it out of it's misery. She crouched low to the ground and felt more than heard her mate and then Warren join her.

Ben noticed Luna had stopped and turned back to find out what was wrong. Warren joined him and they took up posts on either side of her as she moved towards... something. They pushed through some bushes and froze. Lying in the underbrush was a young woman. As they inched closer they caught the scent of an unfamiliar wolf and Warren growled. He reacted first and howled to get his Alpha's attention.

********************MT********************

Adam was two miles away from his third when he heard the howl. He'd considered having Mercy stay at the house with Jesse but he had to admit he enjoyed having his mate at his side as he hunted. At the howl they both turned and headed for Warren, as did the rest of the pack from their various locations in the surrounding area. Something was wrong. It was the only reason Warren would have howled like that.

********************MT********************

Chloe hurt all over. There were holes in her memory and for the life of her she couldn't figure out how she ended up in the woods. She also had no clue **where** she was or why it hurt so much to move. A howl erupted near her and her own wolf fought for control. It's urge was to run because it was already hurt but running would require moving and it hurt too damn much to move, so she kept hold of her tenuous control by sheer will power. Chloe was... unique among her kind. She wasn't just wolf, she was also fae. Not fae enough to stop the magic that made her a wolf when she'd been attacked several years ago but she still had some fae magic in her. Ah yes, that was why she hurt so much. Silver and iron, in the right combination, could be very dangerous for her. Deadly even.

********************MT********************

When Adam and Mercy arrived it was Mercy who shifted. After all, she could do it instantly and they needed **someone** who could talk right away because the woman was beginning to panic with so many werewolves around her. No time to be shy or uncomfortable with being nude in front of a stranger. "It's okay, we're not going to hurt you," Mercy said as soon as she shifted. She moved closer to the woman and caught a familiar scent; silver nitrate. They'd tried, unsuccessfully, to figure out who knew about the concoction Gerry Wallace had created. It seemed someone still had that information and was using it, again. "I'm Mercy Hauptman. That's my husband, and mate, Adam. He's also the Alpha of the Columbia Basin Pack," she added.

Chloe stared at her. She was trying to remember where she'd heard those names before but she finally gave up. It would come back to her. "Chloe. Chloe Bishop," she said through gritted teeth.

"Okay, Chloe, try not to move too much," Mercy said before she turned to Adam. "Adam, we're going to need a stretcher. She's not healing right and I smell silver nitrate," she told him. When he growled her coyote echoed him.

Adam looked to his second and third and Darryl stepped back, letting Warren take this one. Between the two of them Warren was less likely to cause the injured wolf any further stress.

It seemed to take forever for them to get back but a little over half an hour later Adam and Warren returned, both dressed in sweats, and carrying a stretcher. Injuries that should have already healed were still oozing blood and Warren did a quick patch work on them so they could get her to safety. "Don't worry darlin', you're safe now," he cooed at her. "We'll get you patched up right once we're back at pack central," he added.

Chloe bit back whimpers of pain as she was moved to the stretcher. She finally remembered why Adam's and Mercy's names were familiar to her. Andrew, her former pack's second, mentioned them. He'd said they weren't that far away, few miles as the crow flies, if only they could get to them they'd be safe. It always happened this way when she was forced to shift. When she returned to human form she had blanks in her memory that slowly filled in. She'd been forced to shift a lot lately.

********************MT********************

Given the circumstances the hunt was called off and the pack made their way back to Adam's and Mercy's. By the time everyone was back to human form they'd gotten Chloe there, got her injures tended to, and waited for answers as to how she got there and who hurt her. Not to mention where she came from.

Despite the fact he wasn't pack, Samuel was the one they'd called to look at her injuries. What did they do before he'd come to the Tri-Cities? Muddled through with Mary Jo's assistance.

********************MT********************

Samuel was having a dilemma. He and Ariana were reunited several months back, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't work past her fear of werewolves. She'd been working with Peter, before he was killed, and when she'd used her magic to help Adam and several of his wolves in their fight with the demi-god Guyota, he'd thought she'd finally gotten past it. Then Leah was killed and when they went to Aspen Creek things got... rough. She'd stayed as far from the werewolves as she could, which meant she basically stayed in the bedroom the entire time they were there, and she'd had to stay at his Da's house when he went to the funeral. He'd convinced himself he'd found his happiness but he couldn't **be** himself with her. Sometimes even his wolf form caused her to have a panic attack. They'd only been back a few days and the condo they shared was filled with tension. When he got the call from Adam he was actually relieved to get away for a little while. He pushed his worries aside as he pulled into the drive at Adam's and Mercy's. He could worry about his personal life later.

"Samuel, thank you for coming," Adam said when he met him at the door. "The pack was on a hunt when Luna, Ben, and Warren came across an injured female wolf. We can smell the silver nitrate in her system but I think there's more to this."

Samuel gave him a look. "We need to find out just how far the knowledge of Gerry's concoction has gone," he said. "Take me to the patient," he added and followed Adam to the guest room they'd put her in.

********************MT********************

Chloe heard the door open but for the moment she kept her eyes closed. She was sick from silver and iron poisoning but she'd managed to get away before she got too much in her system. It wouldn't kill her. She didn't think so anyway. She'd never killed a human before, not until earlier that night when she took the opportunity presented to her to get away, and part of her feared she'd bring the wrath of humans down on all werewolves. But then they'd have to admit to their unsanctioned experiments and that wasn't going to happen.

"Chloe, this is Dr. Samuel Cornick. He's going to look at your injuries to make sure there isn't something we've missed," Adam said.

Chloe's eyes snapped open at the name. Violet colored eyes locked with blue-gray ones before Chloe blinked and her eyes became a more human color somewhere between brown and blue.

Samuel stared for a moment. Violet colored eyes was neither human nor wolf, but he'd known a fae, years ago, with violet eyes. He'd been the best man at the fae's wedding as a matter of fact. Oh, he knew other fae must have that color too, but he also knew, from what he'd been told, that it wasn't an extremely common eye color among the fae. That a werewolf had violet eyes, suggesting fae blood as well, was interesting indeed. Again he had to push his thoughts aside to focus on the task at hand.

He moved to the bed and checked her injuries. He found several he had to reopen to clean them out, as they'd begun to close with debris in them and letting things fester out was extremely painful, and the tips of his fingers burned from the silver in her system. It took time but he did all he could then sat back. "The rest is up to her. If she had a pack her Alpha could help her."

"No pack," Chloe growled. Her voice was thick with pain. "Not anymore. Alpha was killed, we were easy to capture then."

"Son of a..." Warren bit the swear word off before he uttered it. "Why don't we know about an entire pack disappearing?"

"We can worry about that later," Adam said. "You rest Chloe. We'll keep someone with you in case you need anything," he added and Luna offered to sit with her.

As soon as they were downstairs Samuel was on his phone. "Da, an entire pack has gone missing. Or, almost an entire pack," he corrected thinking about the woman upstairs.

"The Golden Valley Pack, in North Dakota," Bran said. "The Alpha died right around the time Leah did or I would have been aware of it sooner. I have sent Charles to look into it, but how do you know about it?"

"There's a survivor. I don't know how she ended up here but she has a lot of silver nitrate in her system and she said they were captured after her Alpha was killed. "

There was silence on the other end for a moment. "I will be there in a few hours," Bran said and hung up. He would fly in because it was faster than driving.

"All we can do now is wait," Samuel said and as most of the pack left to go home, those who remained settled in to do just that.


	5. Chapter Five

**A/N:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others. Also, I tend to get long-winded, so some of my chapters may be long, no, not may be, will be. You have been warned. Now, without further ado, on with the story!

 **P.S.** I skimmed over the situation with Chloe here because it plays out in her own story, which is a pairing with Samuel and a crossover of Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega titled His Salvation.

********************MT********************

When Bran arrived Chloe explained everything. Plans were made and the lesser dominant wolves, like Luna, stayed behind at pack central while the rest went on the offensive. At first, when they left, Luna paced the living room, but she realized that she was upsetting Jesse and decided to do something to distract those who were left behind. So what did she come up with? Charades. She and Jesse were on the same team and they were winning when the pack returned. Luna's eyes locked with her mate's before she went to him. Her slender arms wrapped around him and she breathed in his scent. "I'm glad you're okay," she said softly.

Ben wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her. "Me too. What were you doing when we walked in?"

"Playing charades," she replied.

"Who was winning?" he asked.

"We were," Jesse said with a grin that made Luna laugh. Jesse went to her father, gave him a welcome home hug, and headed upstairs to her bedroom.

"Let's get out of here," Ben said and escorted Luna out to his truck.

"Is it really over?" Luna asked.

Ben glanced at her. He knew she meant more than just the attack that night. "Yeah, it's really over, if what the bastard who'd helped make the stuff said was true, and we have no reason to think he was lying. No one else knows about the silver/DMSO/ketamine mixture and we made sure there was no evidence leading anyone to it."

Luna sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. We can finally stop fearing another attack."

Ben reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. "One less thing to worry about, right luv?" he replied.

Luna felt happy. Okay, so she was still scared silly about the coming fight between him and Paul, but like he said, one less thing to worry about.

********************MT********************

A few days later her phone rang and she answered on the second ring. "Hey Sage," she said.

"Hey girl. When's the fight? Has it been set yet? Bran said I can come be there for you but I can't come alone and the person I'd rather have with me hasn't learned enough control yet so I get to choose between Asil and Charles. I think I'll torment Asil and make him come with me," Sage said.

Luna laughed. "He'll growl at you the whole time but he doesn't scare everybody the way Charles does, so good idea. And no, not yet, but I have a feeling it'll be this coming weekend."

"Well, you let me know and we'll fly in. I'm not letting you deal with that alone," Sage said.

"Thanks. Wait, who is it you'd rather have with you?" Luna asked.

It was Sage's turn to squirm a bit, the way Luna had back before she and Ben were officially an item."Umm.. Thea's brother Cyrus. He's funny, and hot, and smart, and hot, and dominant as hell... and did I mention he was hot?"

Luna cracked up."You might have, yeah. Is he a good person?" she asked.

"Yeah, he is. He's taking things slow, which I appreciate. It's been a long time since I was attracted to someone."

"I know. Maybe I'll get to meet him in a few weeks. After finals are over Ben and I are talking about coming for a visit, if all goes well."

"That would be awesome. Damn, I gotta go, see you soon Luna," Sage said and hung up.

Luna stared at the phone. She'd not realized Adam had had the chance to talk with Bran about her request.

"You look troubled, everything okay?" a voice said.

Luna was at pack central, she'd stopped by after her last class because Ben was working late and she didn't want to be alone. "Hey Chloe. Not really but that's how life goes sometimes. How are you?" she asked gently.

"I'm here. Trying not to think too hard right now."

"I can understand that. If you ever want to talk, I'm a good listener," Luna replied.

"Thanks. Looks like you have your hands full grading papers, I'll let you get back to work," Chloe said and left her alone.

Luna watched her go. She couldn't imagine the sorrow the other woman was dealing with. She found herself wondering how Bran handled the families of the other wolves. She did not envy him that.

********************MT********************

Later that night, while curled up on the sofa watching a movie together, Ben paused it and shifted position to look at Luna. "I need to get this done. The tension is starting to affect others in the pack," he said softly. "Everyone's waiting for what they know is coming."

Luna stared at him and she felt intense panic. She tried to push it down and managed enough to talk. "I don't want to lose you Ben," she said softly. When he started to reply she stopped him. "No, let me finish," she said and swallowed the panic. She needed to get this all out in the open. "After your fight with George, while Mary Jo was checking you over, I glanced at Paul. What did you do that pissed him off so much that he wants you dead, Ben?"

Ben blinked at her. "What are you talking about, luv?"

"I saw his face. If he wins the fight, you're a dead man. No, don't patronize me and tell me I must have misunderstood his look," she said and pulled away from him. "He will **not** accept a yield. So why? Why does he hate you?"

Ben sighed. "I think it's a couple of reasons," he finally said. He held a hand out to her and after a moment she rejoined him on the sofa. "It started just a few months after I joined the pack." His eyes darkened and it reminded her of the look Warren had when he briefly mentioned why he thought Paul might have a grudge against Ben. "There was a demon-ridden vampire causing all sorts of... trouble. He was also killing innocent people. Warren and I volunteered to help track him down. I was lower in the pack order, Paul felt if anyone was helping it should be those higher up. He went to Adam about it and Adam told him it was volunteer only so if he wanted to offer his help, he was free to. After... after Warren almost died, Paul decided not to risk his own neck and after everything was done I told him he was a coward. One of the pack was almost killed, another, namely me, was missing, and he decided it was too dangerous. He didn't even step up when Adam went missing. It was Mercy who eventually got us out of there and killed the thing, with some help from the fae.

"After that, Adam started trusting me with more responsibility, like working with him on some of the government security contracts. Said I proved myself loyal to the pack and made sure Paul heard it. He's had a grudge ever since."

Luna studied his face. There was something he wasn't telling her. She moved and straddled his lap. "What aren't you telling me, Ben?" she asked softly. When he tried to look away she took his face in her hands. "Talk to me, please." He knew all the horrors she'd suffered through, and helped her heal from them, she wanted to do the same for him.

Ben stared into her eyes. Would she be disgusted with him when he told her? God he hoped not. "The vampire, he managed to capture us, me, Warren, Stefan, and a vampire named Daniel. He was a good kid, for a vampire. We'd struck up a friendship, sort of. We didn't know... He forced Warren and I into wolf form, it was like the human part of us just disappeared. And he made all of us fight each other. I... I..." He shuddered and there were unshed tears in his eyes. "I killed Daniel but that wasn't.. wasn't all of it," he said. He watched her face, waited to see the horror with his next words. "I ate him, some of him anyway."

Luna knew, with the way he was looking at her, that he was waiting to see the horror, the disgust, on her face at his words. But the only thing she felt was sorrow. Sorrow for the way this was eating him up inside. She kept her eyes on his and leaned in to press a gentle kiss to his lips. "It wasn't your fault, Ben," she said softly. "You're a good man and you never would have willingly done anything like that," she added.

Ben stared at her, almost in awe, and then he buried his face against her and cried. He cried for the friend he'd killed and he cried for the little piece of his soul he'd lost that night. He didn't question why she wasn't disgusted with him, he was just grateful.

Luna held him and pressed gentle kisses to the top of his head. She didn't think less of him for the tears. They were healing, cleansing, and he needed to let it out so he could let it go.

Ben wasn't sure how long they sat there like that but when he lifted his face to hers he felt cleaner than he had in a long time. "Thank you," he said softly.

"You're welcome." She kissed him again and nuzzled him a little. "Thank you for sharing that with me," she said murmured.

Ben studied her a moment. "Do you want me to rescind the challenge?" he asked.

Every fiber of her being was screaming yes because she was terrified of losing him, but looking in his eyes she couldn't do it. "No. Just don't die on me," she finally said.

"I won't, promise." They decided they didn't feel like finishing the movie and went to bed.

********************MT********************

Friday afternoon found Luna on her way to the private airstrip to meet Sage and Asil. Asil would escort Sage to Adam's but he would remain in the house until the fight was over. That was the only way Bran would allow her to be there in case things went badly. He was possessive and territorial as hell and he didn't let those who belonged to him 'wander' off. Sage was an unmated female, she didn't get to travel alone, anywhere, period.

Luna smiled a little. He'd made Asil escort her to the three packs she'd been considering joining before she settled on the Columbia Basin Pack, and the only reason Bran had let her drive out of Aspen Creek alone was because she'd been released from the pack bonds and she'd promised to call every hour, on the hour, until she got to Finley. Having to do that would drive Sage nuts so the compromise was Asil.

Luna watched as Sage exited the plane. Two of her pack were there to take care of the plane and their eyes followed her as she sauntered over to Luna. Sage was tall, slender, and gorgeous. She could easily be a runway model if she wanted to. They embraced then Sage turned back towards the plane.

Asil exited the plane and the wolves reacted immediately. His dominance hit them like a hot wind and they tilted their heads in submission. What Luna hadn't expected was for Thea to step off the plane too.

"Asil, stop that," Thea chided him. He was deliberately pushing his dominance at them because of the way they'd been staring at Sage.

"You're spoiling my fun, Little Omega," Asil said grumpily.

"I didn't know you were coming too, Thea," Luna said.

"Call me an insurance policy," Thea replied. "I'm here as a precaution."

That made sense. As an Omega she could keep Asil more in control and if the worst should happen she'd be able to keep Luna calm. "Have you guys had lunch yet?" Luna asked.

"Not yet, no," Sage replied. They each had an overnight bag, Asil carried his and Thea's, while Sage carried her own, much larger one, herself. Miss Independent.

"Great. I'll take you to my favorite place," Luna said. Once they were in the car she took them to an outdoor cafe that had the best Philly Cheese Steaks this side of Philly. They got caught up on what was happening with each other over lunch then Luna dropped them off at their hotel.

********************MT********************

Luna stood on the edge of the mats with Warren on one side of her and Sage on the other. Sage had her arm around Luna for comfort and when Adam stepped onto the mat to signal the start of the fight Luna gripped Warren's arm. This fight, she knew, was going to be hard, violent, and bloody. 'Please don't let me lose him' she thought repeatedly until it became a silent mantra.

The fight started. Ben didn't have time to spare a glance at his mate once he was on the mats. He had to focus all his attention on Paul. That was when he saw what Luna was talking about. Yeah, if he lost, he was a dead man. That thought just made him even more determined to win. He was **not** going to let Paul take him away from Luna.

Each time Paul landed a blow Luna winced. She tried to keep her emotions to herself. She didn't want to risk distracting her mate. She'd only ever seen Paul practicing or sparring and she realized then that Paul held back on those occasions. But so had Ben. He'd also held back a bit with Alec and George. Still, with Paul's bulk he had a slight advantage and used it. Everyone heard the loud crack as Paul did a modified roundhouse kick that broke the bone in Ben's right arm, just above the elbow, making the arm essentially useless to him.

'BEN!' The scream was silent, Luna didn't dare scream out loud, but in her fear she'd let down her guard and he heard it through their bond anyway.

Ben heard her scream in his head and his wolf snarled. Their mate was terrified, it was time to stop scaring her and end the fight. He glanced at Luna long enough for her to realize he'd heard her and then he focused on the wolf in front of him. He bared his teeth a little and channeled his wolf's rage into his attacks. They were both bleeding from various hits, but those wounds were closing quickly. He took a solid kick to his side and felt a few ribs crack. That was it. He was done playing. Paul had the martial arts training that they'd all gotten, even Ben, since joining the pack. What Paul didn't have, however, was experience in street fighting. It was dirty, untrained, and vicious. Ben gave him a dark smile and within minutes, even with a broken arm and several cracked ribs, he had Paul on the ground. The larger man tried to get Ben off him and there was the sound of breaking bones. He'd done to Paul what Paul had done to Mary Jo the time she'd challenged him after the mess their former pack member Henry had gotten them into when the fairy queen burned Mercy's trailer to the ground and Adam damn near died in the fire because he thought Mercy was inside. Paul was on his stomach, with Ben straddling his back, pinning his shoulders with his knees. His good arm had one of Paul's legs and he pulled it back. There were popping sounds and then the leg snapped, bone poking through the flesh.

Paul screamed at the pain and slammed his hands on the mat to signal his yield.

"Paul yields," Adam said. "Ben, do you accept?"

For a single heartbeat Luna thought he was going to say no. And then she watched as Ben rolled off him and she sagged against Sage.

"I accept," Ben said. He leaned down close to Ben's face. "You can thank my mate for your life," he growled then let Paul be taken away on a stretcher. The leg would be set and he'd heal.

"We need to reset your arm," Darryl said to Ben.

Ben nodded and while Darryl got his arm set right, which hurt like hell, he kept his eyes on Luna. As soon as Darryl was done he went to her and pulled her into his embrace.

Luna clung to him. "I thought for sure you weren't going to accept his yield," she said softly.

"I almost didn't," Ben admitted. "But I knew what that would have done to you, and I couldn't do it."

"That was... that was a hell of a fight," Sage said. "There is no way you learned all of that in a dojo," she added.

"Streets of London can be rough when you're from the lower class," Ben replied. "You're either predator or prey, I preferred predator," he told her.

Sage nodded in understanding. "I'm glad Luna is in such good hands. I gotta say, I wasn't sure about you in the beginning, but you're a good man, Ben."

"I wasn't sure about me in the beginning, either, so it's all good," Ben replied.

They went back into the house where Asil and Thea waited. "It's good to know Luna is in good hands," Asil said. "It must have been quite the fight, I'm sorry I had to miss it," he added. They'd seen Paul, they knew it was a bad fight.

"It was brutal," Sage said. She knew Asil would ask for details on the flight home. She might even give them.

********************MT********************

Luna and Ben drove the trio to the airstrip. "Thank you for being here," Luna said and gave Sage a hug. "All of you, thank you," she added, including Asil and Thea in her gratitude.

"I'm just glad we ended up not being needed," Sage replied. "Looking forward to seeing you two again, soon. Oh, and by the way, you'll be staying at my house, not the motel," she added. "I have a perfectly good guest room that's not being used."

Luna laughed softly. "Alright Sage."

They said their goodbyes and Luna watched the plane taxi down the runway and take off. It hit her then. It was over. Ben was fourth in the pack. He was one of their highest ranking wolves and he was hers.

"Let's go home babe," Ben said and that night their lovemaking had a frenzied feel to it. It was as if they needed to reaffirm what they were to each other, reaffirm that they were both still there, both still alive.


	6. Chapter Six

**A/N:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others. Also, I tend to get long-winded, so some of my chapters may be long, no, not may be, will be. You have been warned. Now, without further ado, on with the story!

********************MT********************

Finals week was a nightmare. Luna hadn't given thought to how stressful it could be but every night Ben took care of dinner and had her relax in the tub to ease the tension in her body. It still amazed her how well he knew her. It was comforting to know that they were so connected. A few days after the fight between Ben and Paul, Paul had approached her and told her what Ben had said to him. She was still thinking about it weeks later.

"Penny for your thoughts, luv," Ben said. They were eating take-out Chinese, one of her favorites, and she'd barely eaten a bite.

Luna blushed. "Sorry, thinking about how crazy this week has been. I've been offered a permanent position at the college," she said, watching him.

Ben stared a moment then grinned. "That is awesome honey. Are you going to take it?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think I am." She took a bite of food and continued. "Ben? Paul told me what you said to him after the fight. What did you mean?"

Ben set the glass he was drinking from on the table before he replied. "Part of me wanted him dead, Luna, because that was what **he** had wanted to do to me, and I think if we'd never met, if we'd never become mates, I wouldn't have accepted the yield. My wolf wouldn't have accepted it, because he was a threat to us, to our safety. You've made me a better man, Luna," he admitted.

She waited to feel horrified by what he'd just admitted to but she didn't. "I think I understand," she said. She reached out and gave his hand a squeeze. "I'm glad you're not that person anymore."

"So am I," Ben admitted. "So, when we go to Aspen Creek next week, what should I expect?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Lot's of snow," Luna said with a laugh. "No, seriously, we're talking about an area of the country where they get feet of snow, not inches, every time it snows. This time of year they can have six to ten feet on the ground already. The roads can be really dangerous, there are a lot of sharp curves and they're snow-covered, which means a thin layer of ice on the road itself is a definite possibility. That's why we're renting a four-wheel drive SUV with snow chains for all four tires. But all that glittering snow can be breathtaking," she told him.

Ben looked at her. "Nothing can be more breathtaking than you," he murmured and there was heat in his eyes.

That look warmed her to her toes. All her concerns about finals fled in the wake of the passion building between them. Some people needed to touch each other to awaken this kind of passion, but not them. Dinner was suddenly forgotten as she rose from her chair, went to him, and slid onto his lap to straddle him while she kissed him.

Ben growled and pulled her closer. In the months since they'd become mates Luna had gone from being almost shy in her intimate interactions with him to bold. He had to admit he liked the boldness. It told him she wanted him as much as he wanted her far more strongly than words could ever convey.

Luna dipped her head and nipped at his throat and was rewarded with a deep growl of pleasure from him.

"Keep that up and we might not make it to the bedroom," he growled.

"Maybe that's that point," Luna said, husky with desire.

That startled him and he stared at her a moment. Something on his face must have given her the wrong impression because she started to move off his lap but he stopped her. He kissed her like he was a starving man who'd just been given a feast. His hands slid under her shirt to caress her skin and then he tugged it off. His head dipped to trail kisses across her skin and when she shifted against him, pressing into his arousal, he groaned. They were both suddenly way overdressed and he wanted that remedied immediately. He tugged his own shirt off to land on top of hers on the floor and scooted the chair back so she could stand for him to get her jeans and panties off her. The bra was last and his own jeans and underwear followed before he picked her up. As soon as her legs wrapped around his waist he slid into her with a growl of pleasure.

Luna clung to him when he picked her up. She felt such **need** that she was ready to beg him but he beat her to it. He pressed her back against the wall and slid into her and all she could do was hold on and enjoy the ride. Her hands slid down his back, nails lightly grazing his skin, and when they found release together their cries of pleasure mingled in the air.

Ben managed to walk down the hall to their bedroom before his legs gave out on him. They collapsed on the bed together and he pulled her close. He nuzzled her and kissed her temple, a pleased smile on his face.

Luna shifted to look up at him and laughed at the smile on his face. "You look like the cat that ate the canary," she teased.

Ben kissed her. "What can I say? I'm a male and my woman just proved how irresistible she thinks I am," he said with a cocky grin. He dipped his head and kissed her again. "I love you, you know that, right?"

"Yes, I do," Luna replied. "You show me in all the little things you do. I love you too Ben. Sometimes I still can't believe you're mine. I'll think 'He should be with someone more dominant' and then I remind myself that we balance each other out."

"I'm right where I belong babe. Right here with you," Ben replied. He held her close and felt her relax as sleep pulled her under. Watching her, he came to a decision. She was his future. He was going to make sure everyone, including Luna, knew it.

********************MT********************

Luna watched Ben as he drove. They'd decided to spend a week in Aspen Creek to give themselves plenty of time to unwind and enjoy being away from the city. "Have you ever ran or hunted without a city nearby?" she asked.

Ben glanced over at her then looked back at the road. "No, can't say I have. Why do you ask luv?"

Luna grinned. "You're in for a surprise then. There is nothing like hunting your prey and knowing you won't run into a bunch of people along the way. There's a freedom to it that you just can't get when you live in a city."

"Are you sure you don't want to move back?" he asked because of the joy he heard in her voice just thinking about running and hunting in the wilds around Aspen Creek.

"Yes, I'm sure. That doesn't mean we can't get away from the city every now and then," Luna pointed out.

"True, it doesn't," Ben admitted. Maybe they needed to look into buying property away from lots of people.

"What are you thinking?" she asked, watching him.

"That we should start looking for property away from the city, something remote so we have few neighbors," he replied.

"A little out of the way vacation home, huh?" she asked. "Maybe in the summertime I'll sunbathe in the nude for you," she teased.

Ben growled playfully at that. "You wouldn't get much sunbathing done, babe," he replied.

Luna blushed and laughed softly. "Good point." She looked at him a moment. "Do you ever think about going back to London?" He'd grown up there and he'd only left because he had to, not because he'd wanted to.

Ben shook his head. "Not really. I mean, sure, before you came into my life I thought about it because I wasn't really happy here. But you changed all that Luna. You changed me."

Luna reached over and slipped her hand into his. "You changed me too," she said softly. "I still had some trust issues when I joined the pack but those are gone now."

Ben gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I guess that's what love does, it makes everything better."

********************MT********************

Ben almost missed the turnoff that would take them into Aspen Creek. He'd been expecting a big green sign, like most places had, and almost didn't see the old wooden sign that simply read 'Aspen Creek' with a faded arrow pointing the way. He glanced over at his mate. She'd dozed off and he was reluctant to wake her but he wasn't sure where to go once they actually got **to** Aspen Creek. "Luna, luv, we're almost there," he said and caressed her cheek.

Luna's eyes opened and she yawned then smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, traveling by car always makes me sleepy if I'm not the one driving."

"It's alright babe. We're almost there so where am I headed?"

She sat up straighter and gave him directions to Sage's house. They'd had to put the snow chains on halfway there and when they pulled into Sage's drive there was a high pile of snow off to one side.

"That's a lot of snow," Ben remarked.

"It's always like that in late fall and winter. Make sure you put your jacket on before you get out," Luna said and reached for both their jackets, which were in the backseat. "Trust me, you'll feel like you're freezing your butt off before we even get to the porch, otherwise," she added and managed to bundle up before getting out.

Ben had more difficulty and got out while struggling to get his coat on. "Bloody hell," he grumbled. He could see why it was easy for people to get hypothermia or frostbite in areas like Montana if they aren't protected from the elements.

"I warned you," Luna said with a soft laugh.

"Now that is a sound I haven't heard in a while."

Luna turned at the voice. "Tag! What are you doing at Sage's?" She felt Ben move closer to her and reached out for his hand. "Colin Taggart, I'd like you to meet my mate, Ben Shaw. Ben, this is Tag. He's one of the four wolves in the Marrok who didn't freak me out when I first came here. Bran, Charles, and Asil are the others, and no I can't explain why," Luna said, introducing them.

"Mate? Did you say mate? Well, I'll be damned. Looks like getting away from here did you a world of good," Tag said.

Luna nodded. "It did." She let go of Ben's hand and gave Tag a quick hug. "It's really good to see you, Tag," she added.

"You too girl, you too," Tag replied.

"Nice to meet you," Ben said. He relaxed a little when he realized the other wolf had no romantic interest in Luna. He looked at them standing close together and frowned. If he didn't know any better he'd think they were related. He shook his head a little and went to get their bags.

"You still haven't told me why you're at Sage's," Luna said.

"I was helping to fix a roof leak. We had a storm a few weeks back that tore some limbs off the tree at the back of her house, they damaged the roof. It's a little warmer than it's been, enough that there was some snow melt and that's how we found the leak," Tag informed her.

Sage came out at that moment. "I thought I heard a car," she said and hugged Luna. "Hey Ben," she added then looked at Tag. "Thanks for helping Cyrus with the roof."

"No problem Sage. If there are any more problems let me know." Tag was an interesting person. If he liked you, he'd talk to you, but if he didn't like you, you could scream at him and he'd act like you didn't even exist. He glanced at Luna. "It's good to see you Luna. Take care of her," he added to Ben.

"I intend to," Ben replied.

"Come on in you two. I've already got the guest room ready," Sage said as Tag left. As they entered the front door someone else came in from the back. "Cyrus, this is Luna and Ben," Sage said, introducing them.

Cyrus nodded at Ben and offered his hand to Luna."I've heard a lot about you from Sage. Huh, she didn't tell me you were related to Tag."

Luna gave him a funny look. "I'm... not."

"Really? You look like you are. Maybe it's the hair," Cyrus replied.

"So I'm not the only one who thought they looked like they were related," Ben commented.

Luna frowned again. "Having red hair doesn't make a person related."

"No, luv, it's not just the hair. You just sort of look like you're related," Ben said.

Sage stared at them. "You know, now that you two have pointed it out, I can see it too. Weird. I mean, Luna's hair is a softer shade of red but the nose, lips, even cheekbones are a bit similar. I never really noticed that before."

Luna waved it away. It was silly to think they were related. She knew all of her family. Her face paled a little at that thought because no, she didn't. She didn't even know her biological father's name because her mother had left it blank on her birth certificate.

"Luna? Honey? What's wrong?" Ben asked. He was intimately attuned to her emotions and he knew she was suddenly upset.

"I was just thinking it's not possible because I know my whole family but... I don't. I don't even know my biological father's name, much less anyone on his side of the family."

"So you could be related to Tag and not even know it," Sage said.

"DNA test would tell you if you were," Cyrus pointed out.

"Its something to think about anyway," Sage said gently. She knew her friend, she knew some things affected her more intensely than others and this could easily be one of the intense ones.

Luna nodded before she spoke. "Yeah," she said softly. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know, but then again... "Tag would get a kick out of it if I was a long lost cousin or something," she said with a laugh. Luna decided, what the hell, she'd say something to him about it while they were there. She could even get a testing kit herself and send off the samples.

"How are things here?" Luna asked once they had their bags in the guest room and the four of them were having lunch at Sage's kitchen table.

"That's code for 'How is Bran?'" Sage said knowingly. "Surprisingly calm, but part of that is Aria's influence. She's the one who came here from London a little after you left," Sage explained. "She's an interesting person. You'll know she's dominant as hell when you meet her but at the same time she reminds me a bit of you, the gentleness you have simply because you're a submissive wolf," she added.

Ben cocked a brow. He was from London and the only British werewolf he knew with that name was an older wolf from the North London pack. "Aria? You wouldn't be talking about Aria Kinsley, would you?"

"Yeah. How do you know her? Same pack?" Sage asked.

"No, she was North London, they tend to be a bit... snobbish sometimes, but I met her a time or two. There was an area between our territories that was neutral, ran into her a few times that way. She's probably the most dominant female wolf I've ever met. If she was male she'd easily be an Alpha's Second."

Sage nodded. "Yeah, me too. She's definitely up there. She's good people though."

"My old Alpha had a lot of respect for her so I'd have to agree, because he didn't respect people easily. You had to earn it."

"You said she's been a good influence, in what way?" Luna asked.

Sage hesitated. How much should she say in front of Ben? He wasn't pack but she knew Luna trusted him. "She keeps the berserker calm," Sage finally said.

Luna's eyes widened. "But they're not mates, right?" When Sage nodded Luna looked puzzled. "Then how is she doing that?"

Sage shrugged. "Anna and I think his wolf has chosen her but **he** is being stubborn."

"That sounds like Bran, and don't you tell him I said that," Luna said with a laugh.

"You two have lost me but that's okay," Ben said and Luna briefly explained what they were talking about. "That... sounds bloody dangerous."

"Yeah, it is," Sage said. "And that's why we're all really happy Aria is a good influence. You two should probably head over to Bran's and get the formal hello taken care of," she added.

Luna sighed. "Yeah, we'll be back in a bit," she replied. Since they were in another pack's territory it was protocol to meet with the Alpha. At least Luna knew the way.

********************MT********************

Bran was aware of them before they pulled into his driveway. He had the door open before they reached the porch. "Welcome Luna, Ben, come in," he said and stepped back.

Luna went in first. "Hi Bran. I was sorry to hear about Leah." The woman had taken great pleasure in reminding the few females in the pack that they were 'lesser' but Luna never really let it get to her. Why? Because she'd seen how miserable Leah was and she'd pitied her.

"Thank you Luna. Everything still going well?" he asked.

"It is. Better than I ever expected," Luna replied.

Ben stood quietly at her side. Even his posture said he was being protective of her.

How long will you be staying?" Bran asked.

"A week." Her eyes widened because she realized where that would put them. "Oh crap, I'll have to explain to Ben what will be happening this weekend."

"Indeed. I'm surprised you forgot," Bran said, a hit of amusement in his voice.

"It's more I just wasn't thinking about that," Luna admitted.

"You've lost me again," Ben teased.

"Sorry, I'll explain when we go back to Sage's, I promise," Luna replied.

Ben nodded then turned to Bran. "Bran Cornick, Alpha of the Marrok. My mate and I seek your permission to remain in your territory for the week we have planned for our visit, and longer should the weather prevent our leaving on time," he said, keeping his eyes averted out of respect after having met Bran's eyes briefly when they stepped into the house.

"Permission granted," Bran replied. "I trust Luna will fill you in, if she hasn't already, of what is expected of those in Marrok territory. Enjoy your visit," he added.

"Thank you, Marrok," Ben replied and escorted Luna back out to the SUV they'd rented for the trip. He waited until they were both in before he spoke. "What happens this weekend?"

Luna shifted so she could look at him. "Once a year, anyone who has reached the age of twenty one can choose to risk death to become a werewolf."

Ben looked at her. "Please tell me you're joking."

"No, I'm not. Some years no one steps up some years they do. November is a somber month because too often those who try don't make it."

"Why in bloody hell would they do that?" he asked, shocked.

"I honestly don't know. Some may just want to be werewolves, some I think because if they survive they have access to pack finances which betters their lives as well as their families lives."

"That... I would never have willingly risked dying, that's crazy."

Luna nodded. "Yeah, but it's been this way for a long time. Aspen Creek is like no place else in the world because there's nowhere else where wolves and humans live together where the humans, all the humans, know exactly what their neighbors are."

Ben shook his head. "That might be how it's been for a long time but that doesn't make it any less crazy," he said and finally pulled out of Bran's driveway to head back to Sage's.

"No, it doesn't," Luna agreed.

********************MT********************

That night, Luna laid curled up in Ben's arms trying to sleep but her mind wouldn't stop racing. She kept thinking about what Ben and Cyrus had said about her looking like she and Tag were related. Could it be true? Was that why she'd never felt threatened by him? Had her wolf sensed it from the start?

That thought led to another. How was she going to feel when she took Ben to meet Anna and the child, Juliana, that Charles had rescued from the wolf who'd attacked her when she was a child? She wasn't sure but she knew she would have to be careful or she might cause the girl to get upset and she'd seen Anna when she was her most protective. Her friend would **not** tolerate anyone upsetting her child.

Luna sighed softly, curled closer to Ben, and forced the troubled thoughts from her mind. She would deal with them later. For now, she needed sleep.


	7. Chapter Seven

**A/N:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others. Also, I tend to get long-winded, so some of my chapters may be long, no, not may be, will be. You have been warned. Now, without further ado, on with the story!

********************MT********************

The next morning Sage and Luna made breakfast and Sage invited Cyrus to join them. Waffles smothered in fresh berries, fritatas with chunks of ham, mushrooms, peppers, onions and lots of cheese, sausage links, and scratch made biscuits. Ben and Cyrus definitely enjoyed their breakfast.

"What are your plans for today?" Sage asked once breakfast was over and the dishes were done.

"We're going for a run. Ben has never had the pleasure of running and hunting without the risk of running into humans," Luna replied.

"There is **no** comparison to it," Sage said. "I still remember how free I felt the first time I did that here. It seems like a lifetime ago," she added and there was a wistful look on her face.

"Why don't you two join us?" Luna asked.

"If your mate doesn't mind," Sage said before Cyrus could.

Ben shook his head. "I don't mind at all. Besides, wouldn't it be best to have at least one wolf from the Marrok running with us?" he countered. "Neither of us is pack, and if we come across another wolf, one who is, they might not recognize Luna right away," he added.

"Gorgeous **and** smart, you lucked out, Luna," Sage said with a laugh. Cyrus grumbled and she kissed his cheek. "You know I think you're hot, and one of the most intelligent men I've ever met."

"It's still nice to hear, babe," Cyrus replied. "Going for a run sounds like a good idea to me," he added.

Let's get to it then," Sage said.

********************MT********************

They ran for several hours and it didn't take long for Ben to understand what Luna meant about the feeling of freedom. It was amazing. And the views. As far as he could see, everything was covered in sparkling snow.

When they got back to the house and shifted back to human form Ben went to Luna and wrapped his arms around her. "You're right, it's beautiful here," he said and nuzzled her. "Not as beautiful as you, but then nothing is as beautiful as you," he added.

Luna blushed and leaned into him. "I don't think I'm **that** attractive, but thank you," she said. She knew there were women who were a lot prettier, a lot more beautiful, than she was, but it still made her smile to know Ben thought she was beautiful.

"I beg to differ, babe," he countered.

"Luna has never seen her own beauty," Sage cut in. Sage laughed when Luna stuck her tongue out at her. "It's true and you know it."

Luna just shook her head. "I'm going to go take a shower," she said and headed to the guest room they were staying in to get clothes.

Ben waited until he knew Luna was in the bathroom with the water running before he approached Sage. "I have a favor to ask," he said, keeping his voice down.

Sage arched a brow but kept her voice down as she answered him. "What's the favor?"

"I'm going to ask Luna to marry me and I want to do it someplace that's special to her, someplace that won't require us to be out in the bloody cold for hours."

Sage stared at him a minute before she gave herself a mental shake. "Oh my god. Okay, someplace kind of close. Oh, I know, there's a pool fed from an underground spring about a mile or so northwest of here. I know it's one of her favorite spots, she always said it made her feel peaceful."

Ben grinned. "Perfect. Thanks, Sage."

"Don't mention it. If you wait and go tomorrow it'll give me time to plan a little celebration party, because there's no way she's going to say no. I've never seen her this happy before. When she came here at eighteen she was all but broken and when she left she was still a bit skittish, withdrawn even, but I don't see the insecure girl she used to be. She's become a confident woman and a large part of that is your doing. You've helped her to heal."

Ben shook his head. "We healed each other. If the wolves who'd hurt her weren't dead already I'd rip them apart myself," he growled.

Sage studied him. "I pity anyone who tries to hurt her now." The bathroom door opened and they let the conversation end there.

********************MT********************

The next afternoon Ben talked Luna into going for a walk. He made the direction look like it was random as they headed away from Sage's house.

Luna was tucked under Ben's arm, her own arm across his waist as they walked. "There's this really peaceful pool not far from here," she said after a while. "I used to go there whenever I needed to be alone or I felt on edge. There's just something calming about it," she added. "Would you like to see it?" she asked after a moment.

"I'd love to," Ben replied and let her lead the way.

When they arrived at the secluded pool Ben took a deep breath of clean, crisp mountain air. "I see what you mean about it being calming and peaceful," he murmured. He moved to her and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you, Luna, and that is something I never thought I would feel. Lust, maybe, but never love. Then you came into my life. If I was the kind of person who believed in destiny I would say it was fate. I just consider myself very, very lucky. So lucky that I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He released her and knelt on one knee in the snow. "Not just as my mate but as my wife," he added. He pulled the ring box out of his pocket and opened it. "Luna Aurora Rose, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife and make me the happiest man alive?"

Luna stared down at him for several heartbeats and then her eyes filled with tears and she dropped to her knees in front of him. "Yes," she whispered, and even then her voice shook. She wanted to shout her reply but she knew to do so could bring snow and ice sliding down the mountain and she didn't want to bury them in an avalanche. The ring he slid onto her hand was beautiful. It was white gold with a tiered design that looked a little like leaves, or perhaps wings, flaring out around the central stone of onyx with emerald gems accenting it.

Ben pulled her into his arms and kissed her. He held her tight, as if he was afraid she would disappear otherwise, and when the kiss finally broke they were both breathless. And cold. "Let's get back to the house and change out of these wet clothes," he said because the snow beneath their knees had melted and their jeans were getting wet.

Luna laughed softly and let him help her to her feet. "You are the most amazing man I have ever known," she said and slid her arm around his waist as they headed back to Sage's house.

********************MT********************

As soon as they left Sage threw a small, impromptu 'congratulations' party together. She invited Anna, Charles, Thea, Asil, Bran, Aria, and a few other wolves, including Tag. Aria, Anna, and Thea helped her to get food ready. Everyone stayed in the back of the house when Ben and Luna came in. "You're back," Sage said and that was their cue to come out yelling "Congratulations!"

Luna was confused for a minute then she gave Ben a mock glare. "You knew about the pool, you sneak," she said and laughed.

"Guilty as charged. I asked Sage if there was someplace that was special to you, that was the first thing she thought of. You're not mad, are you?" Ben asked.

"No. How could I be mad about something so sweet?" Luna replied with a loving smile.

They spent quite a few minutes thanking everyone, and of course the girls all 'oohed' and 'ahhed' over her ring.

Luna peeled herself from Ben's side and approached Tag. "Hey. You know, Cyrus and Ben have this idea in their heads that you and I are related and now they have Sage thinking it too," she told him.

"Why do they think that? It better not be the red hair," he growled.

"No, they said we have some similarities in facial features. Cyrus said we could take our own DNA samples and send them off to be tested. I thought, what the heck, it might be funny if we were like distant cousins or something."

Tag thought about it. "It might at that. We should do it, just for fun."

"I could probably get something in Troy, but if not Missoula isn't that far," Luna said thoughtfully.

During the party it was decided that she, Ben, Sage, and Cyrus would go to Missoula the next day, spend some time in the city, and get the test kit on the way back.

********************MT********************

The afternoon in Missoula was a blast. The interesting thing that happened was that they found a lab that would test the DNA for them, for a fee of course, and save Luna having to send it off and wait a week or more for the results. It was Cyrus who wrote the check, he said it was a gift, and Luna left her sample with them before they went back to Aspen Creek, got a sample from Tag, and returned it to the lab before they closed. They would have the results in 48 hours. She would know the day before they went home if the guys were right.

Luna tried to not dwell on it but it wasn't easy. Ben was good at distracting her though. Since she wasn't comfortable doing anything in Sage's home he actually took her to the motel a few times to take her mind off the wait for the test results.

********************MT********************

It was late afternoon when the lab called her. Luna listened and her face paled. "You're sure?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am. The results are conclusive."

Luna stared at the wall a moment. "Thank you," she said and hung up. As soon as the phone was off the panic set in.

Ben was outside helping Cyrus chop wood, something he'd never done before, when he stumbled. "Luna," he growled and bolted inside. He found his mate on the sofa, shaking, her breathing so fast she was about to pass out.

"I don't know what happened," Sage said. "Her phone rang while I was in the kitchen and then all of a sudden I could smell her fear."

"Panic attack," Ben told her before he knelt and took Luna's face in his hands. "Luna, baby, you need to slow your breathing or you're going to pass out. You can do it, luv. Deep breaths. That's it, that's my girl," he hushed and slowly her breathing returned to normal. He slid onto the sofa and pulled her onto his lap. "Talk to me honey, what happened? What's wrong?"

Luna clung to his shirt as the black spots faded from her vision. She stared at him before she whispered, "My father."

"What? What about your father?" he asked, confused, since he knew she knew nothing about the man.

"He.. he's my father."

Ben frowned for a moment. Then he got it. "Oh bloody hell," he growled. "That bloody, selfish bastard," he snarled.

"No! Ben, I don't think.. I don't think he knows."

"Oh my god," Sage said as realization dawned. "Tag's your father?" she asked and sat down. "He needs to get his ass over here, he's got some 'splaining to do," she said and called him. "Hey, Tag, can you come over? Yeah, it's important," she said and hung up. "If he **did** know, I'll help you to kick his ass, Ben," she told him.

By the time Tag arrived Luna felt more in control but she still clung to Ben's hand.

"What's going on, Sage? The tension in here is thick enough to cut with a butter knife," Tag said.

Ben started to speak and Luna stopped him. "The lab got back with me about the DNA test," she said, watching him. "According to their tests there is a 99.9% chance that you're my father."

Tag actually stumbled at her words then sat heavily in the only available chair. "Father? This isn't a prank, is it?" he asked. It wouldn't be like Luna to pull a prank but this was so surreal.

Luna shook her head. "No, no prank. But I don't.. I don't understand," she said. "You're from here, I was born and raised in New Orleans, and my mom grew up there too. I don't..."

Tag looked at her, eyes wide. "You're what, twenty-two, twenty-three?" he asked.

"Twenty-three, almost twenty-four."

"It can't be," he said, almost as if he was talking to himself. "Almost twenty-five years ago I went down to New Orleans for Mardis Gras. I'd already decided I wanted to try the change and figured it would be the only change I got to go experience it. I ended up spending a month there because I met this pretty little thing, said her name was Patty Rose. I thought she didn't want me to know her real name, or her full name, so she only gave me part of it. I figured Rose was her middle name, or she'd made it up."

"Her full name is Susan Patricia Rose," Luna whispered. "She's my mother."

"Oh god Luna, I didn't know. If I'd known..." His hands clenched. "I should have been there to protect you."

"I asked her, a few times, about my father. She wouldn't tell me anything, not even a name. She just said I had his hair." Tears slid down her cheeks.

"Don't cry Luna-girl. If I'd known, I would have been there. I'd have joined the New Orleans pack, to be close to you." It hit him then, how true his words had been. If he'd been there he would have been able to protect her in the pack. A howl broke from him and even though Ben, Sage, and Cyrus were all frozen, unsure of what to do, Luna wasn't. She moved to the chair he'd sat in and knelt before she touched his hand.

"I could have kept you safe from them, if I'd known. They never would have touched you," he said and tears trailed down his cheeks too.

"It's not your fault, it's not anyone's fault, Tag. If all of those... awful things hadn't happened, I never would have come here, I never would have ended up in Washington, and I never would have met Ben. I can't regret all of it because it led me to this moment, it led me to Ben. At least we know now, and we have all the time in the world to build a father-daughter relationship."

Tag laughed and scrubbed the tears from his face. "Leave it to you, Luna-girl, to find the silver lining in all of this."

"I've wanted to know for years who my father was. Now I do. And the really cool thing is he's someone I already know, like, and respect."

"There is that," he replied. "Your mom, did she ever say why she didn't want to talk bout me?" he asked.

"She finally said it hurt too much. I stopped asking after that. I didn't want to hurt her. I think, for the first few years, she went to Mardis Gras hoping against hope that she would find you in the crowd, but eventually she stopped going. She met Roger Prescott when I was seven, they dated a while before they got married. She didn't date anyone until then, and I think in the beginning mom married him to give me a father. But she's happy with him."

Tag sighed. "I'm sorry, Luna-girl, for so many things."

Luna waved it away. "We can't change the past, let's just worry about the present and the future."

"I think that's the only thing you can do," Sage said.

"Pay up babe," Cyrus said and laughed at the look she gave him before he explained to the others what he was talking about. "We made a bet about you two being related. If I won she had to admit I was right and pay for dinner, if she won I'd admit I was wrong and dinner would be on me."

"You were right, oh wise one," Sage said and laughed. "I'm okay with losing this bet though because this is cool. Luna just discovered a whole new limb of her family tree."

"Limb hell, it's an entire bloody side," Ben countered.

A quick call to Bran got their visit extended by a few days so Luna could meet the rest of her newly found family and Ben called work to tell them he'd be delayed in getting back.

That night they lay in bed curled around each other. "How do you feel, luv?" he asked her gently.

"A little overwhelmed," Luna admitted. "All this time my father was right here and I didn't know it. I still wouldn't if Cyrus hadn't put that little bug in my ear about us looking like we were related."

Ben kissed her temple. "I'm starting to have second thoughts on my stance about fate and destiny," he murmured. "Too many things have happened, it's hard to believe it's all just coincidence."

Luna smiled a little. "I'll make a believer out of you yet," she teased and yawned.

"Sleep honey, you've had quite the emotional day today," Ben hushed. He caressed her side to help her relax and only when he was sure she was asleep did he finally let his own eyes close.


	8. Chapter Eight

**A/N:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others. Also, I tend to get long-winded, so some of my chapters may be long, no, not may be, will be. You have been warned. Now, without further ado, on with the story!

********************MT********************

"What do you mean she's your daughter?" Luna and Ben could hear Heather Morrell, Tag's niece, through the window as they approached his home. They were having a family dinner there, on her last night in Aspen Creek, so she could meet his side of the family. It was closing in on winter but every window in the house was open for some reason.

"Remember when I brought you back those Mardis Gras beads when you were five?" Tag asked.

"Yeah, I remember," Heather replied. "I didn't think you were coming back because you stayed longer."

"That was when I was with Luna's mom," Tag admitted.

"So, wait, you got her pregnant and left them?" There was shock in Heather's voice.

"Hell no. If I'd known I would have stayed, or I'd have brought her home with me. Cyrus and Luna's mate, Ben, said we looked related and we thought it would be funny if we were long lost cousins or something."

"Instead, she's your daughter," Heather said. "Wow, I have another cousin. That's cool."

When they'd headed over to Tag's Luna had felt nervous, worried his family would be distant or unwelcoming and bothered by the fact she was his daughter. Or that they would think she was lying to him. Heather's words eased some of that worry.

"Knock, knock," Ben called out as they reached the door. They both knew Tag was already aware of their presence.

Luna was expecting Tag to open the door but it was opened by a much older woman. "Hi, I'm Luna," she said, a little startled.

"Welcome to the family," the woman said and pulled Luna into a hug.

"Ma, give her a chance to adjust before you go hugging on her," Tag said. He moved around the house closing windows. "Burned a pie," he told them in explanation.

Marianne Taggart waved her son's comment away. "She's my granddaughter, I'm going to hug her," she countered.

Luna was startled by the hug but recovered quickly and returned it. "Thank you," she said and gave the woman an almost shy smile. To her core she was still a shy, submissive person and it shone through sometimes, like now.

"I didn't bother you, now, did I?" Marianne asked.

"No, I was just a little startled. It still catches me off guard sometimes how easily werewolves are accepted here."

Marianne studied her. "Your mother's people aren't welcoming?"

Luna thought about how to answer her. "It's not that they aren't welcoming, per se. They're just not comfortable and don't know how to handle what I am. I haven't really talked to them much since I left Louisiana and came here five years ago," Luna admitted.

"Some people are just that way. But you'll always be welcome here. Come on inside and get warmed up," Marianne said as if only just realizing they still stood on the large porch. "You must be her mate, Ben," she added.

"Yes ma'am," Ben replied.

"You'll be family soon enough, none of this 'ma'am' nonsense. Call me Marianne."

"Alright," Ben said then frowned. "Wait, I assume you're talking about our engagement but how did you know about that?" he asked.

"News travels fast in small towns, Ben," Luna told him. "Aspen Creek is no different. Add to that the fact Tag just found out I'm his daughter, of course he was going to tell his own mother she'd gained a granddaughter and future grandson-in-law."

"Good point, luv. I hadn't thought about that,' Ben replied.

Once inside Luna was introduced to several cousins, including Heather, two uncles, and an aunt. "Sorry, my wife Shelli couldn't be here," Tag's older brother, and Heather's father, Cory, said. "She couldn't get off work with such short notice. If any of us had known you were kin we would have brought you into the family a long time ago, Luna," he told her.

Luna smiled a little. "It's okay, I don't hold it against anyone, including my mom."

He looked puzzled a moment then decided not to ask what she meant by that. "Alright then. You know, we always wondered about Tag's extended trip to New Orleans, and why he'd stayed longer than he'd originally planned to. He didn't talk about it much after he got back and after the first few times of him knocking some heads we stopped asking. Now we know why he stayed longer, if not why it pissed him off for us to ask about it."

The question remained though, why didn't he talk about it? Luna wondered, had he felt as strongly for her mom as she seemed to have felt for him? She pushed the thought away because, honestly, it was a moot point now.

By the time they sat down to eat Luna was being asked questions about her childhood. She debated on evading the questions then decided to be completely honest with her newly found family. There was a lot of shock when she told them about how she'd become a werewolf, and especially at the age it happened, and then anger over her treatment during the last three years she was with her old pack.

"They were all punished when Luna came here," Tag said because he saw the anger in his mother's eyes.

"Not all of them," Ben growled.

"What do you mean?" Tag asked and he was suddenly filled with tension.

"The old Alpha. No, Luna, I don't care that he says he didn't know it was happening. First, any Alpha worth the position would have known. Second, there is no way he could have missed the signs that something was wrong. Someone who is being sexually abused shows signs, I don't give a damn who they are. He saw the signs and ignored them. And he sure as hell didn't tell you everything you needed to know to stay safe in other ways, either."

Luna looked at her lap and it was clear she was upset.

"What happened?" It was Heather who asked in a gentle voice.

Before Ben could tell them Luna put a hand on his arm to stop him. "You have to remember, I was a child when I was changed, I didn't know that female werewolves could still get pregnant. I thought that whatever it was that made me a werewolf made it so that couldn't happen. I was the only female in the pack, so I didn't have anyone to even talk to about it. But I also didn't know that, even though we could get pregnant, we miscarried within the first three months. Not until I found myself pregnant, at seventeen, and lost it," she said quietly.

"Your mate's right Luna. Your old Alpha should have known what was happening, he should have known, through the pack bonds, that something was wrong. And he should have educated you so you knew how to protect yourself," Tag said with an angry growl.

Ben decided that if they tracked down Luna's old Alpha he'd invite Tag to go with him and Warren to have a little chat with him, and by chat he meant give him an ass kicking.

"Alright boys, you're upsetting my granddaughter," Marianne said, ending the tension in the room.

It wasn't long after that Luna and Ben went back to Sage's. They were leaving early in the morning to head back home and wanted to get enough rest for the drive. Luna was a bit overwhelmed by all the hugs she received before they left.

"How's it feel to know you have such welcoming family?" Ben asked as they lay in bed later that night.

"Overwhelming and wonderful," Luna replied. She snuggled closer to him and rested her head on his chest. "After the attack, I didn't really feel like I belonged anywhere. The other side of my family made me feel... uncomfortable. It's nice being accepted."

"I can imagine luv," Ben replied and caressed her side. "Get some sleep, we've got an early day tomorrow," he added and held her close. He waited until he knew she was asleep before he finally drifted off as well.

********************MT********************

Tag was there to see them off. "Call when you get back to Kennewick. I know, I know, I just found out you're my kid and suddenly I'm being an overprotective father. Humor me," he said.

Lina laughed softly. "Okay, I'll call, promise." When he hugged her tightly she returned it. Then she hugged Sage, promised to call her as well, and finally got into the passenger seat of their rental and buckled up. She waved as they pulled out of Sage's drive and headed back home.

"I have to admit, I'm looking forward to getting back home where it's not quite so bloody cold," Ben said as he drove.

Luna turned to look at him. "Don't like all the snow, huh?" she asked.

"Not really luv. It's pretty, sure, and it was fun to run in in wolf form, but it's too cold for me. I'm glad we came though," he told her.

"So am I," Luna replied.

********************MT********************

A few days after they returned home they decided to finally share the news of their engagement with the pack, which was perfect because since it was Sunday a lot of them would be at Adam's and Mercy's for Sunday Breakfast.

"Welcome back," Mercy said when they walked in. "Did you two enjoy your little vacation?" she asked.

"We did. There have been a couple of... changes," Luna said and held her left hand out.

"Is that...?" Mercy said then she grinned. "Oh my god, congratulations you two," she added.

"What's going..?" Warren didn't finish the question because he saw the ring, He picked Luna up as he hugged her, making her laugh. "That is wonderful news, darlin'," he said and kissed her cheek before he set her down and went to shake Ben's hand.

As soon as his mate set her down Kyle was there to hug her too. "Fair Luna, you simply **have** to let me help plan the wedding."

"Of course you get to help, Kyle," Luna said as if that was a silly thing to say. "After all, I need my fashion designer to help me pick out the **perfect** wedding dress," she added.

There were several more congratulatory words before Jesse piped up with, "What else happened? You said 'couple of changes' so what else happened?" she said at the look she got from the others.

Luna swallowed. "I was reunited with the father I never knew, and the rest of his family," she said softly.

"Wait, back up, how did that happen?" Mercy asked.

"When we got to Aspen Creek, Tag and a newer wolf, Cyrus, were fixing some damage that was done to Sage's roof in a storm. Cyrus said that Tag and I looked like we were related, Ben agreed, and after a little talk we decided to have our DNA tested because we thought it would be funny if we were long lost cousins. Turns out, he's my father."

Mercy stared. "Colin Taggart is your father? Holy crap."

"Yeah. He went to Mardis Gras the year he decided he wanted to try the change because he figured he wouldn't get another chance, met my mom, stayed a month or so, then went back to Aspen Creek not knowing she was pregnant. Back then she went by her middle name, Patricia, instead of Susan, and everyone called her Patty. When she told him her name was Patty Rose, he'd thought she was giving him a false name, or her first and middle names. He had no reason to think I was related to her so he never asked. It was all very... emotional." She leaned into Ben when he slipped his arm around her.

"What Luna isn't saying is that all of his family welcomed her with open arms, and given her mother's reaction, and the reaction of her mother's family, Luna felt overwhelmed," Ben said, holding her close.

"What Ben said," Luna murmured.

"That's good though, right?" Jesse asked.

Luna nodded. "It is," she admitted. "I always wondered who my father was, now I know. And the cool part is I already knew him and liked him," she added with a laugh.

"Luna was also offered a permanent position at the college," Ben told them, pride evident in his voice.

There were more words of congratulations before everyone dug into their breakfast. Darryl tended to get annoyed if you let your food get cold.

Luna and Ben hadn't set a date yet for their wedding. The holidays were coming and Luna wanted to get through them before she thought about setting a date and planning a wedding. Figuring out the holidays, and what to get her mate for Christmas, was going to be hard enough.


	9. Chapter Nine

**A/N:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others. Also, I tend to get long-winded, so some of my chapters may be long, no, not may be, will be. You have been warned. Now, without further ado, on with the story!

********************MT********************

A week after their visit to Aspen Creek Ben was at work and Luna was at home trying to find the perfect Christmas gift for her mate when she heard Warren's truck pull up outside. She frowned a little, curious as to why he was stopping by out of the blue, and went to the door. She saw the tension in his shoulders as he got out of the truck and her frown deepened. Something was bothering him, badly. "Hey you. Come on in. Can I get you some coffee? Or a beer?" she asked, trying to get a smile from him with the last one.

"No thanks," Warren replied. He waited until he was inside to continue. "Luna, darlin', I need your help."

"Come sit down and tell me what's wrong," she said softly, concern evident in her voice as she looped her arm through his until they reached the living room.

Warren sat in one of the chairs and clasped his hands together to keep them from shaking. "I need you to talk to Kyle, talk some sense into him," he said and before she could ask why he continued. "He wants me to change him."

Luna sat there and stared at him in shock. "Does he know what's he's asking?" she asked softly.

"I told him, I told him he could die and no way was I doing it, but he's adamant. Talk to him, please Luna. Maybe you can get through to him," Warren said and his voice broke.

Luna went to him and sat on the arm of the chair so she could hug him. "I'll talk to him Warren." What else could she do? Kyle wanted his mate to do the one thing that could potentially destroy him; risk bringing about Kyle's death. Maybe he didn't fully understand it all. God, she hoped that was the case.

"Thank you, Luna," Warren said after a few minutes. He wiped the tears from his eyes but he didn't feel embarrassed crying in front of Luna, he knew she wouldn't think less of him for it.

"You're welcome," she said softly. "I'll see if Kyle will join me for lunch to help me decide on a Christmas gift for Ben, and yes I'll actually ask his opinion once he's here. And then I'll try to talk to him about what he's asking," she added.

"You know my mate well," Warren said with a watered down version of his usual smile. "Ask him about gift ideas and he'll be here in two shakes of a lamb's tail," he added.

Luna gave him another hug. "Yeah, I do. Go on you, let me call him and see if I can talk some sense into him. I won't make any promises, but I'll try my best."

Warren kissed her cheek. "If he won't listen to you, I don't know what I'll do," he said and left.

Luna waited a bit before she dialed Kyle's number.

********************MT********************

Kyle stood in the library of his home staring at the shelves of books. He was torn between screaming, throwing something, and crying. Why had Warren flat out refused to hear him out? Maybe the only reason Warren wanted him was because he was human. Maybe if he wasn't Warren wouldn't want him anymore.

His phone rang and he almost ignored it but just before it went to voice-mail he saw who was calling and answered. "Hello Luna." He was pretty sure Warren had gone to talk to her but he couldn't bring himself to ignore her call.

"Hello Kyle. I was thinking we should have lunch together today. I need your advice on a gift for Ben for Christmas," Luna said.

Kyle blinked. That wasn't what he was expecting. "That sounds fun, fair Luna. Are we eating out or in?" he asked.

"I'm making lunch, of course. So get your cute butt over here, mister."

Kyle laughed despite the way he felt. "My butt isn't cute, it's fabulous," he said. "I'm on my way," he added and hung up. If nothing else she'd made him feel a bit better.

********************MT********************

Luna made pizza for their lunch, adding extra cheese and mushrooms, the way she knew Kyle liked it, salad, and on a whim she decided to also make strawberry crepes for dessert. Okay, maybe it was a little overboard, but she'd heard the hurt in Kyle's voice and that hurt her heart to hear. 'Please let me help them sort this out' she prayed silently as she heard his car pull up outside.

********************MT********************

Kyle pulled up and sat there for a minute. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He knew Luna was going to smell his emotions so he didn't even bother trying to pretend he wasn't upset. Kyle sighed and got out of the car. When Luna met him at the door he kissed her cheek. He was doing fine until she hugged him. Then he felt like his world was crumbling ad a sound escaped him.

Luna hugged him because she knew he was upset. She heard the sob and her arms tightened a little. "Do you want to talk first, or eat?" she asked gently.

"Eat. I don't know if I'll feel like it after... and is that pizza I smell?" Kyle asked.

"You know it. And I tried a new dessert recipe; strawberry crepes." She liked trying to make new baked goodies and she'd been waiting for the perfect time to try the crepes recipe.

"Well then we should definitely eat first," Kyle said firmly.

They decided to sit in the living room at the small coffee table on cushions instead of at the table in the kitchen area. The house really didn't have enough space for an actual dining room.

"You and Ben need a bigger house, Luna. I know he makes enough to **buy** a house for you," Kyle said.

"Maybe after we're married we'll think about it." She looked a little startled. "Married. I still can't believe he proposed," she said softly.

"I can't believe it took him this long to do it," Kyle countered. "Luna, honey, that man has been hooked on you since the moment he saw you. You're a good match for each other."

Luna smiled at that. "Yeah, we are," she admitted. They'd finished the pizza and salad and she picked up a crepe to try it. "Mm, I definitely like this recipe."

Kyle groaned when he took his first bite. "If you get tired of teaching you could open your own bakery. Luna's Heavenly Creations," he said. "Of course, I'd be big as a house in no time from eating there daily," he added.

Luna laughed at that. "I'll keep that in mind. So, about the gift ideas for Ben, I don't want to get something generic, like a watch, and I know he's really fond of high tech computer related things, I just don't know **what** to get him."

Kyle thought about it then grinned. "I have the **perfect** thing and if you don't have the finances for it all on your own, I'll help. A little birdie told me Ben has a thing for jukeboxes." At the look on her face he tipped his head. "You didn't know that? Well I'm sure there are things he still doesn't know about you," he said and continued. "I was perusing the net for gifts myself when I came across a Crosley Rocket Jukebox. He'd absolutely love it."

Luna thought about that. "You know, I should have picked up on the jukebox thing. The times we've gone out with some of the others, to have drinks or play pool, we go to this bar owned by a fellow pack member and he makes a beeline for the jukebox they have there. You're right, it's **perfect** ," she replied. After a moment she reached over and touched his arm. She could see tension in his body, could smell his sudden sadness. She had the feeling the gifts he was looking for were for his mate. "Do you want to talk about what happened between you and Warren?" she asked after a moment.

Kyle sighed. "I'm sure he told you what I asked," he said and when she nodded he continued. "He flat out refused to hear me out. He just said 'No, end of story'. As if I have no say in it. I think... I think he doesn't want to try because... then he won't want me anymore."

Luna moved to him and wrapped her arms around him. "It's not that, Kyle. I can guarantee you it's not that." She thought about the way to explain it and went with blunt honesty. "He's scared, Kyle. I know, big brave Warren who stood up to a demon-ridden vampire, it's hard to see him as scared. But he is. You mean everything to him, Kyle. It would destroy him if he lost you. Back in Aspen Creek, every October, near the full moon, anyone who wants to try the change is allowed to. It's always either the Marrok or a loved one who does the savaging. So many who try it don't survive, Kyle. Hearing the sobs and cries of grief from wolf and human alike.. it's heartbreaking. He's terrified you won't survive and he'll lose you."

"He's going to lose me either way, Luna. I'm human, it's only a matter of when, not if. There's no guarantee I won't die in an accident today. Or have some enraged ex-husband of a client come into the office with a gun. It's happened before but we managed to diffuse the situation because the lawyer he was looking for wasn't there. Say I live to a ripe old age. I'm still going to die. I'll be this ugly, wrinkled thing while he still looks delectable. And then I'll die on him. Better now, before we've spent fifty years together when he'd stand a better chance of surviving it, than later after years together when he might just give up and follow me into the grave because it **does** destroy him. Please, Luna, help me make him see that. It's **my** decision to make but I don't want to do it behind his back. And hell, I wouldn't even know how to go about that anyway. I doubt Adam would agree if he knew Warren didn't."

"No, I don't think Adam would either," Luna agreed. She sighed softly. "I'll tell you what I told Warren. I'll try but I make no promises."

Kyle hugged her tight. "Thank you," he said and kissed her cheek. "That's all I can ask. Oh, and some of these delicious crepes to take home with me," he added cheekily.

"You got it, Kyle," she replied.

********************MT********************

After Kyle left, Luna headed over to Adam's and Mercy's where she knew she would find Warren. A quick search of the house had her going to the garage entrance of the dojo. She found him shadow-sparring, which is similar to shadow-boxing in that he didn't have a partner for it. She waited for him to notice her because she didn't want to mess with his concentration.

********************MT********************

As soon as he left the little house Ben and Luna shared Warren knew he had to work off some of the pent up tension he was struggling with. So he headed to his Alpha's to use the dojo. Sometime later he was aware of Luna entering but he finished what he was doing and then did some stretches, because werewolf he may be, muscles could still tense up after a strenuous workout without a little stretching afterwards. He guzzled some water and then headed over to the side of the mats where she waited patiently for him. He tried to figure out what the outcome of her talk with Kyle had been but she was hiding it well. Damn. "The wait is killing me," he said as he approached her. "What happened?"

"Let's sit," Luna said and headed to the bleachers that sat against one wall for the pack to use during dominance fights or sparring matches.

Warren wasn't so sure sitting was a good thing but he joined her anyway. Then he waited for her to fill him in on her talk with Kyle.

Luna reached out and took his hands in his. "You're probably not going to like everything I have to tell you," she said softly. "Kyle thinks the reason you said no without even hearing him out is because you won't want him if he's a werewolf. I told him that was silly, of course you'd still want him, because he means everything to you. Warren, I know why you said no, I even understand it. The thought of him not surviving it even has **me** wanting to cringe. But his reasoning is sound. No, hear me out, please, the way you wouldn't hear him out," she said when he started to interrupt. "He's human. He's going to die one day. He could die in a car accident today, or have an enraged ex-husband of one of his clients shoot him in the office. There's no guarantee he'll be around in fifty years. But what if he is? You'll still look like you do right now while he'll be wrinkled and old. And then you'll lose him anyway. And after so many years together, do you really think you and your wolf will survive it? I know you're scared about losing him now but I think you two really need to sit down and talk this out. I'll even play mediator if need be, but you need to listen to why he wants to do this."

"I don't want to lose him Luna. I don't know if I could survive it **now** ," Warren said. "But... you're right, I need to hear him out. He deserves that."

Luna hugged him. "I'll be right there to hold your hand, and his, if needed, while you two talk it out," she promised.

Warren chuckled a little. "Thanks. What do you say you and Ben come to dinner tonight and you can help us hash this out then?"

"I'll have to make sure Ben doesn't have anything planned already. If not, then that sounds like a plan to me."

********************MT********************

When Luna called Ben to fill him in on everything, he'd quickly agreed sitting down with Kyle and Warren to help them through the discussion was necessary. And the sooner the better. "I can see why Warren would be freaked out about it," he said as he drove them into Richland to Kyle's and Warren's that evening.

"So can I, but I can also understand Kyle's reasoning. He doesn't want Warren to have to watch him grow old and die." Luna shuddered. "I'm so glad that isn't anything either of us has to worry about."

"Me too, luv," Ben replied. He pulled into the driveway and went around to help her out.

Kyle met them at the door. "Hello Ben, Luna. Come on in. We're eating in the breakfast nook. I know it's not breakfast anymore but I like the view even in the evening," he told them. The table was already set up and Warren was putting the last of their dinner, a bowl of rolls, on it when they came into the kitchen.

"Dinner smells delicious," Luna said.

"It was Warren's turn to cook and he decided to cook steaks on the grill out back," Kyle replied. There was a tightness around his eyes.

Luna hugged him because she felt he needed it. She didn't promise it would all be fine because she couldn't guarantee that. An idea was forming though, a way to give Warren and Kyle both a little time to adjust to the decision if Warren finally agreed to try to bring Kyle over, or rather let someone do it for him.

"Thank you, fair Luna," Kyle murmured before they all took a seat. The conversation over dinner was light. It seemed their area was a magnet for wolves, given first Chloe's addition to the pack before she decided to go to Aspen Creek, and now they had Lila and her little girl, who were the topic of discussion at the moment.

"That little pixie is so sweet," Kyle said. He adored Kami, but then again everyone in the pack adored her. She was just too darn lovable not to adore her.

"She is," Luna agreed. "Hey, I hear you're trying to help Lila get work at the law firm. That would definitely make their lives easier," she added.

"It would," Warren agreed. "I was thinking of offering her the duplex. I doubt she'd take it without being able to afford to pay rent, Lila seems to have a hard time with asking for, or accepting, help," he said.

"Yeah, I think you're right," Ben replied. "Look at how hard it was for her to even agree to stay with Adam and Mercy once she joined the pack." They'd all heard about her reluctance in even **joining** the pack.

When dinner was over Luna offered to help Kyle with the dishes. It gave him just a little more time to center himself. When the last dish was dried and put away, Kyle took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I guess I've avoided this as long as I can," he said, squaring his shoulders.

Luna looped her arm through his. "I'll be right there," she said and they headed up to the theater room where Ben and Warren had gone after dinner.

Warren was on edge but he'd promised himself he would hear his mate out. It helped that Kyle was just as on edge because it meant he was nervous too. When Kyle sat down next to him on the sofa he took his hand and held it.

"Okay," Luna said, getting the conversation started. "I can't imagine how stressful this is for both of you but I love you both dearly and I hate seeing you hurting. Ben and I are here to help you two talk this out, so if I tell you to calm down, either of you, it's because of that love. Now, stop being so stubborn, Warren, and stop being so defensive, Kyle," she said, proving she wasn't taking sides in this, "and talk."

There was silence for several seconds before both Warren and Kyle laughed, which eased some of their tension. Kyle shifted to face his mate. "Warren, honey, I do understand you're reluctance in even considering what I asked. I know you're afraid to lose me," he said quietly. "But we have to face reality. You're a werewolf, I'm human. Barring a dominance fight with someone stronger than you or a freak accident, you'll likely be here an hundred years from now. I won't be. I'm going to grow old. I'm going to get weak. And then I'm going to die." He moved to his knees on the sofa. "I don't want that to happen. I don't want you to have to watch me grow old and breathe my last breath. And that's the best case scenario. I never felt my weakness as a human more than I did that Thanksgiving night when those mercenaries took you. There wasn't anything I could do. And I couldn't even protect **myself**. If it hadn't been for Ben, Mercy, and Stefan... I saw the look my torturer gave me, just before they saved me. He would have maimed me to the point I would have been physically destroyed. All to get their hands on Mercy and Jesse." Tears slipped down his cheeks. "If I'd been a werewolf they wouldn't have been able to do that."

"No, but then you would have been with us and it could have been you that bastard shot, not Peter," Warren countered.

"I don't think so, Warren," Ben said from where he sat on the arm of Luna's chair. "Adam told us all about the kill list they had. They'd researched all of us, they knew just how to hurt us. I think they knew Peter was our lone submissive and they thought that killing him would break even Adam. They didn't understand that killing Peter would do the opposite."

Warren thought about it "Maybe you're right," he begrudgingly agreed. Then he turned back to Kyle. "There's no guarantee you'll survive, Kyle. It's not like in the movies, where all it takes is a single bite. The wolf who tries to change you has to savage you, has to put you on death's door, for the magic to slip past a human's immune system. And even then it's not a sure thing. The change, itself, can kill you if you're not strong enough. It's why female werewolves are so rare, and submissive ones even more rare, regardless of their gender. They're often not strong enough to survive the change."

"Warren, my love, there is no guarantee I will wake up tomorrow. There is no guarantee some crazy person won't come into the office and shoot it up, killing everyone in sight. We've already had one scare with that, you know that. Next time we might not get so lucky, we might not be able to diffuse the situation," Kyle replied. "Please, Warren, at least think about it, really think about it. I want to be here an hundred years from now with my hand in yours, just like it is now."

The thought of losing Kyle terrified him but Warren had to admit he liked the idea of Kyle never growing old and dying. He studied his mate and realized that what Luna had said earlier was true. If Kyle tried the change and didn't make it, it **might** destroy him, but if he spent the next fifty years holding him, loving him, and watching him grow old before losing him when there was a chance he could survive the change, it **would** destroy him. "Okay," he said after a moment. "But I can't do it, even if I wanted to, because of our mate bond."

"I'll do it," Ben said. "Unless you'd rather it be Adam since he's Alpha."

"You'd do that?" Warren asked, stunned.

"Yeah. I like Kyle, and I think you two are good together. If I can help make that a permanent thing, great," Ben replied. "And if it doesn't go well, you won't have to leave the pack out of grief, anger, and resentment towards your Alpha because even if it was something done with your blessing, your wolf would still blame Adam. Luna and I would need time to decide on where to go, but I would willingly leave the pack so I wouldn't be a constant reminder to you," he added.

Warren knew how much the pack meant to Ben. They'd become his family, and yet he was willing to give that up so that Warren wouldn't feel betrayed by their Alpha if Adam tried to change Kyle and it failed. "I know how much saying that cost you, Ben," Warren said. "I know what the pack means to you. Thank you."

Ben nodded. "Don't mention it." Yeah, it would hurt like hell, but he'd still have Luna at his side.

"I have a request," Luna said, breaking the sudden silence. She turned to Kyle. "I ask you to wait until after the new year has begun. Bran told me that if I wanted to confront my stepfather I had his blessing and that I could take whomever I felt safest with. Ben is a given," she said and squeezed her mate's hand. "But I'd also like you and Warren to come too, and that won't be possible if you try the change in the next few weeks. If you survive you'll be too unstable for a few months, until you learn complete control, and if you don't survive... Warren will be in no condition to go."

"You'd like me to come to The Big Easy with you?" Kyle asked and grinned. "Oh, that could be so much fun. But only if you'll play tour guide," he said and gave her a pouty look that made her laugh.

"You know I will," she replied.

"Alright, fair Luna. We will wait until after the holidays have come and gone and you've had the chance to confront that despicable man." Then he got a dark look in his eyes. "I have one more condition. I want to be the one to hit him. We both know Warren and Ben will have a hard time **not** doing that themselves, but if they hit him it would be bad. I, on the other hand, being just a mere human, can hit him without worrying about breaking him. And if he threatens to go to the police, well, I'm a lawyer, I know exactly how to shut him up. I will inform him that we have proof that he helped a known sex offender to violate a court order to not be around children. And that we have proof that he not only knew your attacker but covered it up. I will ask him, point blank, how he thinks his loving wife will feel about him when she finds out he not only knew his own brother attacked and nearly killed her precious daughter, but that he covered it up and deliberately got her daughter out of their home, putting her in harm's way where she ended up being violated for the better part of three years, so no one would be any the wiser."

Luna stared at him but it was Ben who spoke. "You have a truly vicious mind sometimes, Kyle. I like it."

"Why thank you, Ben," Kyle relied.

"It's settled then," Luna said. She had no issues with Kyle's last minute 'condition' because he was right. Ben and Warren both would want to hurt her stepfather for what he'd done and they couldn't, not without accidentally killing him. But Kyle could.

********************MT********************

On their way home that night Ben looked over at his mate. "That was nicely done, luv. They'll have time to talk about what might happen, and Kyle can make legal arrangements if things don't go well."

Luna smiled. "Thank you. I wasn't even thinking about legal arrangements," she admitted. "I just wanted to give them time to adjust to the possibility that he might not survive." She shifted so she was facing him as much as her seat belt would allow. "I was... impressed by your offer to do it, so Warren wouldn't lose both his best friend **and** his mate if things go badly," she said softly. She knew Adam and Warren were best friends, had been since not long after Warren joined the pack, and it would have damaged that friendship if Adam tried to change Kyle and it failed. "I hope things go well though. They both deserve to be happy, and Kyle dying, either from the change, an accident, or old age, won't do that."

"I know it would damage their friendship, that's why I made the offer. Warren will need the strength Adam can give him, if Kyle doesn't survive, if he is to survive losing his mate. I couldn't let him lose the one thing that **might** keep him sane," Ben replied.

Luna was quiet the rest of the way home and when they went to bed that night she said a silent prayer that, when the time came, Kyle would survive because Luna knew his death would destroy more than just Warren. Her mate would never be able to forgive himself if he took Warren's mate from him, no matter how good the intentions.


	10. Chapter Ten

**A/N:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others. Also, I tend to get long-winded, so some of my chapters may be long, no, not may be, will be. You have been warned. Now, without further ado, on with the story!

********************MT********************

Christmas arrived and Luna was excited. It was their first Christmas together, and looking back she couldn't believe how much her life had changed in the months since she'd left Aspen Creek. She'd still been a bit uncomfortable around male wolves on her arrival in Washington but Ben helped her to get past that completely. She was happy, really happy, for the first time in a long time.

As soon as they woke up she wanted to tear into their gifts, like she'd done as a child, but she curbed that urge and made their breakfast first. It wasn't until she had the ham for their dinner cooking that they sat down to open everything. Well, her major gift for Ben would be delivered soon. It was at Kyle's and Warren's home because it was too big for her to hide it in the little house and and Ben lived in.

They got each other a lot of little things, both things they wanted and things they needed. Ben, who obviously knew his mate well, gifted her with several pieces of antique jewelry including a choker made from black stones that hung in dangling strips around her throat. It reminded her of something she'd seen on an episode of Downton Abbey and had commented on, once. "I do have one more gift for you, but you have to wait for Warren and Kyle to get here with it," Luna told him.

"Why are Warren and Kyle bringing it?" he asked, a puzzled look on his face.

"Because it's something I couldn't hide here," she replied.

Ben couldn't help but wonder what his mate had gotten him that would be so hard to hide in the house they currently lived in. "Alright, luv," he said and kissed her. "Thank you, Luna, for making this the best Christmas I've had, ever, just by being in my life," he added.

Luna returned the kiss and sighed against his lips. "You're welcome, Ben," she said then smiled warmly. "Thank you, too, for making this the best Christmas I've had since before I was Changed."

Luna's phone rang and she smiled as she answered it. "Merry Christmas, Tag." She might not be ready to call him 'dad' yet, but she was still happy to have found out the truth.

"Merry Christmas, Luna. I've got a Christmas surprise for you," Tag replied.

"A Christmas surprise? What is it?"

"Go to your front door and find out," he said cryptically.

Luna went to the door with a puzzled frown. It turned into a grin when she opened it. Tag stood there with a stack of presents in his arms and the phone held against his ear by his mother.

"Surprise," he said with a big grin.

"Merry Christmas," Maryanne added and moved to hug her granddaughter.

"Merry Christmas to you, too," Luna said then looked at Tag. "This is definitely a surprise. But... how did you know where we lived?"

"That's my doing," Ben told her. "It's part of my final Christmas present for you. The rest we have to wait for Warren and Kyle as well," he added.

It was Luna's turn to give him an odd look. "Benjamin Shaw, what are you up to?" she asked.

He leaned in and kissed her lightly before he chuckled. "You'll see, luv. You'll like it, I promise."

"Mm, okay," Luna said, mollified by the kiss. "If I'd known you were coming I wouldn't have shipped your gifts to Aspen Creek," she said once she and Ben had opened the gifts they'd been given. It seemed they'd both been readily accepted by the Taggart clan and there was something from everyone. Luna felt herself tear up from the acceptance.

"That would have ruined the surprise though, dear," Maryanne said to her granddaughter. " I hope those are good tears," she added.

"They are," Luna assured her. "It's just still so overwhelming how easily all of you accepted me into the family."

Tag went to her and hugged her. "You're our kin, we could do no less. I know not every family is like that, but we are," he told her.

"Thanks, Tag," she murmured.

Tag looked over at Ben. "As long as you're her mate, that includes you. You need something and we can help you, give us a call."

"I'll remember that," Ben replied.

Not long after that Warren and Kyle arrived. Kyle knocked then breezed in ahead of Warren who had Luna's gift for Ben on a dolly. "Merry Christmas, fair Luna," he said and kissed her cheek. Then his gaze fell on their company. "You must be Tag, Luna's newly-found father," he said to Tag. "I can see the family resemblance."

"Yes, he is," Luna said. "And this is my grandmother, Maryanne," she added, introducing the older woman. "Tag, Maryanne, this is Kyle. He's my sort of adopted brother, as in we decided we were family just because, and his mate, our pack's third, Warren." Then her face lit up. " **Now** you can open your last present, Ben."

Ben approached the large, wrapped package. "What on earth?" he asked. When he got all the paper off he stared. "You... you got me a jukebox," he said in awe.

"Not just **a** jukebox," Kyle scoffed. "It's a Crosley Rocket. Calling it **a** jukebox is like calling a Ferrari **a** car," he teased.

Luna found herself suddenly picked up and spun around. "God, I love you," her mate said and she beamed. "I was hoping you'd like it."

"Like it? I love it, babe," Ben told her. He got a wicked smile on his face. "Now that everyone is here, we have to drive to where **your** last present is," he told her.

Maryanne rode with Kyle and Warren while Tag rode with Ben and Luna. The only person who seemed to be totally in the dark about where they were going was Luna. When they pulled up in front of a taupe colored house Luna frowned. "Where are we?" The house was situated on several acres of land with part of it wooded.

"Our new home," Ben told her.

Luna stared at him. "What?"

"Merry Christmas, honey. I wanted us to start the new year in our own home. I know it's a bit large but once I saw the inside... I knew this was it. Come on," he said and urged her to get out of the truck.

Once inside Luna was in awe. The floors were covered in gorgeous Italian tile, the walls were marigold yellow with a wealth of windows trimmed in white letting lots of sunlight in. The kitchen had marble counter tops, dark wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances and a breakfast bar. On one wall in the living room area, situated between windows, sat a brick encased fireplace. The floor plan was open so a person could stand in the kitchen and see the entire front part of the house. There were three bedrooms and two bathrooms, one of which was the master bath. It had an oval whirlpool tub in one corner surrounded by tile and a large shower near it. The entire feel of the house was warm and light. The rear patio, when she stepped out onto it, kept the tiled theme right to the edge where it was met with grass.

"We've got five acres, three of them wooded," Ben told her. She hadn't said anything and he was getting worried. Maybe he shouldn't have bought the house without getting her thoughts on it first? "Luna? Luv? Say something, please."

Luna turned to him with tears in her eyes. "It's.. it's perfect, Ben," she breathed. "I absolutely love it."

"Told you she would," Kyle said smugly. He so loved being right.

"Wait, you knew? Am I the **only** one who was clueless?" Luna asked.

"Pretty much, darlin," Warren told her.

"We knew he'd bought you a home but we didn't know what it looked like," Maryanne said. "It's a beautiful house," she admitted.

********************MT********************

The rest of winter break was spent getting them moved into their new home and shopping for furniture since they had so much more space now. They rang in the new year at a party at Warren's and Kyle's and then it was back to work for her.

It would be the end of January before Luna, Ben, Warren, and Kyle hopped a plane bound for New Orleans. Luna sat in her seat staring out the window at the clouds as they passed by. Once again they were on a private plane and yet Luna was on edge. Part of her nervousness was because she was going to be confronting her stepfather, but the other part of it was because of their destination. New Orleans held some unpleasant memories for her and she was worried about seeing anyone from her old pack. The 'new' Alpha was a good man, true, but the last time she'd seen **anyone** from the pack she'd been completely broken.

"It's going to be alright," Ben murmured. "I'm right here, luv. Nothing's going to happen to you," he told her.

Luna sighed softly "I know, Ben. It's just... I haven't seen anyone from my old pack since I left. Things were really bad then. I'm not sure **how** I'm going to react."

Ben moved the armrest that was between their seats then tugged Luna onto his lap. "You aren't facing it alone, honey. I will always be right here."

Luna leaned into him. "Thank you, Ben. I think I needed that."

He kissed her gently. "Anytime, luv. Anytime."

"You also have Warren and I here, fair Luna," Kyle told her. "We will all keep you safe."

Luna smiled a little. "I know you will." She gave him a thoughtful look. "You look happier than you have been in a while. Is that because of Warren agreeing to you trying to be Changed?"

Kyle thought about the question. "I think so, yeah," he admitted.

"Have you thought about what it might mean for you, career-wise?" Ben asked. "I mean, you won't be able to work for a while, not until you've learned to control your wolf."

"I have, actually. I'll be going on a hiatus. I've been there long enough I can do that without trouble," Kyle replied.

"Good to know you've got that covered," Ben told him.

"We've got a contingency plan in case he doesn't survive," Warren said after a moment. "While on hiatus I talked him into going camping with me and he got mauled by a grizzly that was protecting her cubs."

"That.. would work," Ben said after a moment.

"It would. But we're hoping we won't need it," Kyle replied. "You're awfully quiet," he said to Luna.

Luna sighed softly. "I just really don't want to think about the possibility of you dying. At least, not right now."

"Because you're already stressed enough as it is," he said gently. "I'm confident it's all going to work out but no more talk about it until after this mess in New Orleans is dealt with. I promise, fair Luna," he added.

Luna smiled a little. "Thanks, Kyle." They all fell into a companionable silence for the rest of the flight.

********************MT********************

The plane landed at a private airstrip outside of New Orleans and Luna was the first person to exit it. New Orleans, in January, wasn't bad. It was in the low 70's at the moment which meant they didn't have to deal with oppressive heat.

"The temperature's not bad," Warren said as he stepped off the plane.

"It's positively balmy compared to back home," Kyle said from behind him.

"You should come in the middle of summer, you'll want to be back in Washington then," a voice said and Rene stepped into view. "Welcome to New Orleans. I'm Rene Brion, Alpha of the Bayou Pack." He turned his attention to Luna. "Hello, Luna. I heard things were going well for you out in Washington. That's good, you deserve some good in your life after what happened here. If I'd known, I'd have put a stop to it."

All the way to New Orleans Luna had worried about how she was going to feel when she was finally face to face with the werewolf who'd been the pack's second when she'd been a part of it. But Rene was a good man and she realized she wasn't so nervous after all. "I know you would have, Rene." She reached for Ben's hand before she continued. "You heard right, things have gone well. Rene, I'd like you to meet Ben Shaw, my mate. That's Warren Smith, the Columbia Basin Pack's third, and his mate Kyle Brooks." They each nodded hello at the introduction.

"I'm sure you'd like to rest up from your flight. We've reserved two rooms for your use, at pack's expense, while you're here. It's the least we can do," Rene said when it looked like Luna was going to argue.

Luna nodded. "Thank you."

The guys grabbed the bags and they followed Rene out to the SUV he had waiting. It was a little tense in the car with three dominant wolves but Luna's presence kept Ben calm while Kyle helped Warren to keep from feeling threatened by the Bayou Pack's Alpha.

"I know you're only here until Sunday, but if you need anything, chere, you let me know," Rene said to Luna, once they'd arrived at the hotel. He made sure she had a number where he could be reached and then he left.

********************MT********************

Once they were in their 'room' Ben pulled Luna into his arms and nuzzled her. "You want to talk about it?" he asked gently.

The moment Ben pulled her into his arms Luna realized she wasn't as okay as she'd thought. She closed her eyes as tension slowly left her body. "I thought I was fine. Rene was the pack's second before I left. He's a good man and I'm sure the pack is much better off without Xavier in charge, but... there are so many bad memories," she murmured. The thought of running into some of the others made her shake.

Ben's arms tightened around her. "It's alright luv. You're safe. No one is ever going to hurt you again. I promise you that."

"I know, you'll do everything in your power to keep me safe," she replied with a faint smile.

"That's my girl," Ben said and kissed her. "Why don't I order room service while you go relax in the tub?" he offered. He knew one thing that always helped his mate relax, besides sex, was soaking in the tub.

Luna smiled. "That sounds perfect," she said and reluctantly moved out of his arms to go to the bathroom in their suite. It seemed the Bayou Pack had gone all out and reserved two **suites** for them instead of just regular rooms. By the time Luna came out of the bathroom in comfortable lounge pants and a tank top their food had arrived. They would relax until nightfall and then Luna was taking them all out to experience the New Orleans night life.

********************MT********************

"I have officially added New Orleans to the list of my most favorite places in the world," Kyle said hours later. He'd had quite a bit to drink and was feeling very tipsy while he leaned on his mate as the four of them walked through the French Quarter.

"You should see the city during Mardi Gras," Luna said. "This is mild in comparison. The revelry, the music... the half naked men and women dancing in the streets. There is no other celebration like it."

"I've promised Luna I'll try to endure the crowd and noise to come down sometime. You two should come with us," Ben told them.

"We should plan it for next year when Kyle's learned control," Warren said. He refused to believe that his mate wouldn't survive the Change.

"It's a date," Luna said with a nod. She too refused to believe Kyle wouldn't survive it.

"Well, darlings, it's good to know you both have so much confidence in me," Kyle said.

Kyle stumble and Warren caught him. "Alright, it's time I get him back to the hotel and into bed before he hurts himself," Warren said and they all headed back.

********************MT********************

"We can hop on that plane and head right back home tomorrow, if you want," Ben said as they lay in bed together. He could feel his mate's unease.

"No. Thank you honey, but I need to do this in order to finally put it all behind me," Luna said softly.

"Alright luv. I got your back," Ben replied then proceeded to take her mind off it so she could get some sleep.

********************MT********************

It wasn't until late the next day, after taking the guys on a tour of the city, that Luna finally confronted her stepfather. Kyle was the one who got him to the meeting place. He'd given him a story about legal documents pertaining to his brother and Roger gladly came to meet with him. For the moment Luna was hidden from view.

"Mr. Brooks, I presume?" Roger said. "I'm Roger Prescott. You said you had some legal documents pertaining to my brother?"

"He lied." Luna stepped into view then. "I knew if I called and my mom answered I wouldn't be able to do this so I asked Kyle to get you here for me."

Roger stared at her. "Luna? What is this all about? Wouldn't be able to do what?"

Luna smelled his fear from where she stood. "I know the truth Roger. I know about Miles."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Roger countered.

"Word of advice, Roger old boy, don't try to lie to werewolves. They can smell it," Kyle said idly.

"You **knew** he attacked me and made sure I was out of the way so I wouldn't figure out it was him. You were the only father I'd ever known, you'd said you loved me like I was your own daughter, but you didn't. If he'd attacked Mandy, you would have never protected him, you would have never thrown **her** away like you did me. Why? Why would you do that? Why would you lie to a **child**?"

"It wasn't a lie, Luna. But I loved my brother too. He couldn't help himself, it wasn't his fault. It's the monster inside him, that's what made him do it."

"Have you seen your brother lately?" Ben asked and barely managed to keep the growl from his voice.

"What?"

"Your brother, have you seen him lately?" he asked.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Roger asked, eyes narrowed.

Luna put her hand on her mate's arm and he let her talk. "Miles is dead. He violated the Marrok's law, he attacked **children** , plural. I'm not the only one he attacked. I'll bet there have been some missing children reports, all of them similar to me in personality; submissive. I'm also not the only one to survive him. Right now, there is a twelve year old girl in Montana who is having to come to terms with the fact she is no longer human."

"Did you cover up your brother's other crimes as well?" This from Kyle. "He had quite a thing for young girls, didn't he? Spent time in prison for it and then suddenly he stopped. More like you helped keep it hidden, just like you did when he attacked Luna."

"No. Miles got treatment, he was fixed. It wasn't until he became a monster that he had trouble again. It wasn't his fault."

"You keep telling yourself that, maybe one day you'll believe it and be able to look yourself in the mirror again," Warren drawled.

"They raped me." Luna watched her stepfather's face. "For three years, from the time I was fifteen until I was eighteen and could finally leave, they raped me. I was passed around among several pack members. They're all gone now. Because of you protecting him, I spent three years being raped and it's taken me a long time to heal from that. I debated long and hard about whether or not I should tell my mom about what you did," she said and smelled the spike of fear her words caused. "I realized, I can't do that to her. I won't let **you** destroy her, because that's what would happen if she knew the truth. Your actions, your betrayal, would destroy her and I love my mom too much to do that to her, even if you don't."

"Of course I love your mother," Roger countered.

"No, you don't. Not really. If you did you wouldn't have committed such a betrayal. You wouldn't have used fear of what I might do if I wasn't in a pack to convince her to let her only child live with strangers all to protect your brother." She turned away from him. "Let's go home," she said to Ben.

They went to the airstrip from there. Luna wasn't in the mood to spend another day in New Orleans and once they were in the air she curled up in Ben's arms and cried. She cried until she was exhausted from it and slept most of the flight back home to Richland. It was done. That painful chapter of her life was finally over and she had a wonderful future with an amazing man to look forward to.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**A/N:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others. Also, I tend to get long-winded, so some of my chapters may be long, no, not may be, will be. You have been warned.

 **Further note:** This chapter is focused on Warren and Kyle, centered on Kyle's change. I was asked a few times if I plan to write a Warren/Kyle story, and the answer is yes, when I have the time to. That one will start long before they meet though, giving Warren my own version of his backstory, since I don't know how far Patty delved into it herself.

Now, without further ado, on with the story!

********************MT********************

It was hours yet before the sun would rise but Warren Smith was wide awake. He lay there watching his mate sleep and wondered if this would be the last time he would get to hold him like that. His gaze traveled over Kyle and he committed every little detail to memory. Just in case. He loved the way his hair fell softly against his brow with no hair products to keep it in place. He loved the way Kyle's brow crinkled when he dreamed. He loved the small dark brown birthmark that caressed the top of Kyle's right buttock. There were so many things about the man asleep beside him that he loved. His wit, his drive, his passion. His need to help others. His refusal to let others make him feel uncomfortable in his own skin. He made an art of putting bigots in their place.

Part of him wanted the morning to never end. They were scheduled to meet Ben and Luna at Adam's and Mercy's that afternoon. His wolf howled in his head over the thought of losing their mate but the decision was made and Warren, no matter how much he hated it and feared the worst, would support Kyle in this. His arms tightened around Kyle and he was rewarded by his mate snuggling closer in sleep. "Please don't let me lose him," he whispered into the darkness. If there was a god he had no idea if his prayer was even heard, much less answered.

When the sun finally began to lighten the sky, Warren slipped out of bed and went to make breakfast. He would not let what might be their last day together be dull or unromantic. He would cater to his mate, savoring every second they had together.

********************MT********************

Kyle awoke to the smell of fresh brewed French roast coffee and the feather light brush of Warren's lips on his skin. A slow, lazy smile spread across his face. "I don't know which I like more, the delicious aroma of coffee of the feel of your lips on my skin," he purred.

Warren chuckled and kissed him. "Mornin'," he said and nuzzled his lips.

"Good morning love," Kyle replied. From the corner of his eye he saw the tray next to the bed and arched a brow. "What's this?"

"Breakfast in bed," Warren replied.

"You are so good to me," Kyle said softly. "I love you, you know."

"I know. I love you too," Warren replied. "Let's eat before it gets cold," he added. He pushed his troubled thoughts aside and focused on that moment only.

********************MT********************

Across town Ben and Luna were sharing their own breakfast. All arrangements had been made in the event things went badly. It would mean giving up the house they'd only recently purchased but they were prepared if that ended up being the case. Still, Luna hoped they didn't have to leave. This was their home. Not just the house, but the pack. It was home, and it would hurt to leave.

"We have to have faith that he'll survive, luv," Ben said because he knew where his mate's thoughts were.

"I know, I know. I'm still scared though. I really don't think Warren will be able to survive it if Kyle dies. He's put on a brave front but I can see it in his eyes. If we lose Kyle we'll lose him too."

Ben hugged her tight. "I know, luv. But there's nothing more we can do. Adam will help as best he can but it's all in fate's hands now."

Luna sighed softly. "I guess you're right," she murmured. 'Please don't let him die,' she silently prayed and hoped it would be answered.

********************MT********************

All the way to Adam's and Mercy's Warren held Kyle's hand in his. There were so many things he wanted to say, in case he didn't get the chance to later. "I want you to know, you have given me more joy, more happiness, than I've ever known. I know you want me to promise I won't do anything foolish if this whole thing goes south. But I can't do that, Kyle. Losing you will break me. I'm not saying this to change your mind, darlin'," he said when Kyle's fingers tightened around his hand. "I support your decision with my whole heart. If it works I won't have to watch you grow old and die. But if it doesn't, I'll be joining you in the afterlife. You're my soul, Kyle. At your side is where I belong."

Kyle shifted in the seat to look at him. "I know, Warren. I already know if... it goes bad you won't be able to face the world alone. I've thought about this, what it might mean for those left behind, but I don't want to see the pain in your eyes when I'm ninety years old and can barely get around. Whatever happens, we'll face it together. Even if it's in the afterlife." He leaned over and kissed his cheek. "But, I have faith, my love. A century from now we'll be dining with Ben and Luna laughing over how worried we'd been over nothing."

Warren laughed a little. "Alright, darlin'. I'll try to keep the faith too," he said as he pulled into the driveway leading to Adam's and Mercy's home. Ben's truck, he noticed, was already there, as were a number of other vehicles. He parked next to Ben's truck then went around to open Kyle's door.

As soon as he was out of Warren's truck, Kyle found himself pinned against it. When Warren crushed his lips against his, Kyle gripped Warren's shirt in his fists. A whimper escaped him and he shuddered.

"Don't you die on me," Warren growled and his wolf was in his eyes.

"I don't intend to," Kyle whispered and lifted his hand to caress his cheek.

Warren closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. He didn't want to move from that spot. If they stayed there, just like that, he didn't have to face the fear that was clawing at him. It took more willpower than he was willing to admit to for him to finally step back.

Kyle didn't tell him it was all going to be okay. They both knew the risks of what he was about to do, and they'd made a promise to never lie to each other. He wouldn't break that promise now, not even to take that fear from his mate's eyes. He leaned in and kissed him gently then slipped his hand into Warren's. "I love you, don't ever forget that," he said as they headed to the front door.

********************MT********************

Mercy was watching for them when they arrived. She turned away to give them some privacy when she saw Warren pin Kyle against the truck. Her own heart hurt at the prospect of losing such a dear friend. Two friends, really, because she was almost certain Warren would walk into the Columbia River and let himself drown if he lost Kyle today.

She turned to the front door when she heard them approach. The look in Warren's eyes when she opened the door, it hurt her heart even more. She didn't say a word, she just hugged him. "They're waiting for you in the dojo," she said after a moment. A large number of the pack had gathered there to support their Third if the need arose.

"Thanks, darlin'," Warren said and sighed. "I guess this is it." His hands shook a moment before he steadied himself.

Mercy slipped her arm around his waist as they walked. It was the only support she could really give her friend right now.

Warren froze at the closed door leading into the dojo. For several minutes he stood there staring at it before he took a deep breath, opened it, and ushered Kyle inside.

********************MT********************

Soon after arriving Ben had undressed and shifted. He paced back and forth in the dojo, his claws clicking on the floor with every step. The mats they kept in the center for sparring matches were all piled to one side to make the clean up of the coming attack easier. Ben knew this was going to be hard on all of them. Hell, he didn't **want** to savage Kyle knowing it could kill him, but he'd offered and he wouldn't back out now.

When the door to the dojo opened and Warren and Kyle stepped in, Ben had to hold back the whine that threatened to escape. Even from across the dojo he could smell Warren's fear. Everyone there could feel the tension from Warren through the pack bonds. He waited with Luna on one side of him and Adam on the other while Warren escorted Kyle over to him.

Kyle had seen Warren's wolf so he wasn't completely caught off guard by the sight of Ben in wolf form. "I didn't know you didn't all have the same coloring," he commented.

"Some werewolves look almost identical to their natural cousins, the timber wolves," Adam informed him. "But yes, we are all different." He turned his attention to those who had come in support. "We come together today to offer support to a pack member who is facing the potential loss of his mate. None of us can fully understand what it is our Third is going through because none of us has ever faced the savaging of a human mate." His gaze drifted to Mercy. He could come close to understanding because of all they'd gone through, but it wasn't quite the same. Pulling his thoughts from his mate, Adam turned to Kyle. "Are you still sure this is what you want?"

Kyle gave Warren's hand a squeeze then let go. "It is," he replied.

Adam nodded at the younger man. "I'll do all I can to make sure you succeed," he told him before he turned to Warren. "Go stand next to Darryl and do not move until I tell you to," he ordered. He knew if he didn't make it an order Warren wouldn't be able to stand by while Ben attacked his mate. Even so, several pack members would stand ready to pin him down if need be.

Warren nodded and moved to the other side of the dojo where Darryl stood. Mercy and Luna joined him and they took up positions on either side of him.

Kyle had come dressed in a pair of old sweats, something he wouldn't mind having destroyed in the attack. He tried to prepare himself for it but there really was no way to do that. He knew it was going to hurt, he just didn't know how much.

Adam turned to Ben a moment and nodded before he stepped closer to where his Third stood. He could see the strain in Warren's muscles as his wolf strained against the order to not move.

Without warning Ben attacked. His jaws tore into tender flesh as he pulled Kyle to the floor. Claws raked through fabric, shredding it and the skin beneath it, and blood flowed onto the concrete floor. Ben knew it had to be just enough to put Kyle on death's door but that didn't make it easy for him. His wolf balked at the idea of hurting a 'pack member', as they'd come to think of Kyle.

Kyle had thought he was prepared for it, but the instant Ben attacked he realized how wrong he was. Pain seared his body as if he'd been set ablaze and he screamed. The sound echoed in the dojo and was accompanied by more screams mingled with Ben's growls.

Warren stared in horror as Ben attacked. Seconds ticked by and then a howl of rage tore from his throat. His mate was being hurt, he had to stop it, he had to save him. His wolf struggled against the order given him by his Alpha and Warren took a step forward.

Adam was suddenly there, enforcing the order and pushing his wolf back. "If you interfere now, you **will** lose him," he said and the pain he saw in his friend's eyes hurt.

Warren couldn't speak, his wolf was too much in control. He howled at the pain and terror he felt through the mate bond and collapsed to his knees. Tears slid down his cheeks and he let them fall to the floor.

Luna knelt beside Warren and hugged him tight. She wanted to look away from where Ben and Kyle were but she didn't. If Warren could watch so could she.

Minutes after the attack began it ended. Ben stepped back form the torn body of his friend and whined before he moved away.

It was then that Adam took over. The power of an Alpha could help in the process as long as Kyle's body accepted the magic of the wolf. Kyle was cleaned and his wounds bandaged before he was carried down to the safe room in the basement.

********************MT********************

Mercy helped Warren to his feet, while Luna moved to where her mate stood, and then walked with him downstairs. "Do you want anything?" she asked gently.

"No." Warren didn't take his gaze off the still form of his mate. He moved to the edge of the bed and sat on the floor before he took Kyle's hand in his own. Then he began to talk. What he said didn't matter. What mattered was Kyle knowing he was there waiting for him to wake up.

The scene in front of her was so familiar it was eerie. Of course the last time it was Warren lying lifeless on the bed, his body ravaged by that demon-ridden vampire's actions, and Kyle doing the talking. But just as Kyle's voice had pulled Warren back from the brink, Mercy hoped Warren's voice would do the same for Kyle.

********************MT********************

Ben shifted back to human before he went to get cleaned up. He stood there under the hot spray of water and felt cold to the bone. He'd done what Kyle had asked, he'd attacked him with a savagery that could kill him, and yet Ben couldn't silence the guilt and doubt gnawing at him. Did he do the right thing? Should he have instead tried to help Warren talk Kyle out of it? Would he ever be able to forgive himself for his part in this if Kyle died? A sob escaped him and he slid down the wall in the shower until he was sitting with his knees pulled up to his chest.

********************MT********************

Luna could feel her mate's distress and went to him quickly. She didn't bother undressing, she just stepped into the shower, knelt beside her mate, and wrapped her arms around him.

As soon as Luna was there Ben clung to her and let it out. He cried against her shoulder because he knew his mate would never think less of him for it. "Did I do the right thing?" he asked after several minutes. "If he dies... I don't know if I'll be able to look at myself in the mirror again, and not see a murderer," he added.

Luna's arms tightened around him. "You did the only thing you could do," she said softly. "He wasn't going to change his mind, we both know that, Ben. We'll get through whatever happens now."

Ben sighed and suddenly realized she was still dressed. "You're drenched, luv," he murmured.

"I don't mind. You needed me, and just like I know you'll always be here when I need you, I will always be here when **you** need **me**."

Ben kissed her gently and turned the water off. "Thanks, luv. Let's get you into something dry. And I'm starving."

********************MT********************

The next several hours were tense ones for everyone. At first they weren't sure if Kyle was going to make it but then, slowly, his injuries began to heal. Warren, who'd talked for so long he was hoarse, was the first to notice it. "He's healing," he whispered and his voice was suddenly choked with emotion.

"Oh, thank god," Mercy said and there were tears in her eyes. She and Adam had stayed at his side the entire time. Pack members had drifted in and out to give their support but Mercy and Adam hadn't budged. "I'll go let everyone know, and bring some food in. He'll need it when he wakes up," she said and hugged Warren tight.

A sound, half sob half laugh, escaped him. "Thanks, darlin'. If you see Ben and Luna, would you ask them to come in here a minute?"

"Sure thing, Warren," Mercy replied. She found them in the kitchen sipping hot cocoa. "He's healing, he's going to make it," she said.

Ben actually felt a bit weak with relief upon hearing that. "Thank gods."

"Warren is asking for the two of you," she told them and watched them go.

********************MT********************

When they reached the door Luna knocked softly before they entered. "Hey. We hear he's going to make it," she said quietly. "I'm so glad. Mercy said you were asking for us," she added once the door was closed behind them.

"He is.. and I was. Thank you. Both of you. I couldn't... I couldn't have gotten through any of this without you two. You helped me to see that I needed to respect Kyle's decision and support him in it. I understand why you stayed away from the room until now. You didn't want to make this any harder on me than it already was."

"That and I didn't want your wolf pissed off at me for doing it in the first place," Ben confessed. "Figured it was better to stay away until we knew something one way or another."

"I appreciate that, Ben. You two should go home. He'll be in and out of it for a while. In a few days we should all get together though, have dinner and talk."

"You just tell us when," Luna said and hugged him. "I'm so glad he's going to be okay," she added softly.

"You and me both, darlin'. You and me both."

After they left and food was brought in, Warren settled down next to his mate and waited for him to finally wake up.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Disclaimer:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others. Also, I tend to get long-winded, so some of my chapters may be long, no, not may be, will be. You have been warned.

Now, without further ado, on with the story!

********************MT********************

Several times Kyle awoke briefly, just long enough to eat and then pass out again. It was early morning when his eyes finally opened for real. His gaze was instantly drawn to the man dozing while he sat on the floor with his head resting on the bed. One hand moved to touch him and Kyle smiled when those eyes snapped open. "Hello there, handsome."

"Hello yourself, gorgeous," Warren growled. "How do you feel?"

"Hungry, horny, and happy to be alive. The three H's," Kyle replied.

Warren laughed. "Glad to see you didn't lose your sense of humor." He rolled his shoulders and moved to get up.

"Who says I was joking?" Kyle countered.

"I know you're not. The Change makes everything more intense, but food first. A hungry wolf is a dangerous wolf, especially when they're newly Changed."

"Are you still upset I decided to try the Change?" Kyle asked as he slid off the bed. The bag he'd brought with clothes and his toiletries in it was sitting on top of the nearby dresser.

"Yes and no," Warren said honestly. "Yes, because you could have died, damn it, and no because you survived and now I can really share this part of my life with you. Adam will give you a day, at least, to adjust to being a wolf before he brings you into the pack, unless you ask otherwise. I'll warn you, it's overwhelming when the magic hits you, but the feeling of connection when it fades, it's... there are no words to describe it properly."

"I think I'd like to get it done and over with as soon as possible," Kyle replied. He felt his mate's eyes on him as he dressed. "What is that delicious smell?" he asked suddenly and closed the distance between them. "Mm, it's you," he added and pressed his nose into the side of Warren's neck to breathe him in.

"Werewolf," Warren replied. "Mint and musk, we all smell like that. Some seem to have their own unique scent too."

"You smell like a hot summer day," Kyle said. "Hot, baked earth. I like it." A soft growl trickled from him.

Warren felt his mate's control slipping a little and was damn glad he was the more dominant of them. He used that to subdue his wolf. "Food, now," he said and moved to the door.

********************MT********************

Mercy had spent half the night baking. She baked when she was nervous, or angry, or upset. As a result the kitchen was filled with the scent of fresh baked cookies. She'd not been to sleep yet and was actually dozing at the kitchen table when she heard footsteps coming up from where the safe room was. The sound brought her instantly awake.

"Mercy, darlin', shouldn't you be in bed with your mate?" Warren asked when he saw her.

"I couldn't sleep and I was keeping Adam awake so I came down here and... baked." Her gaze went to Kyle and she froze. There was a look in his eyes she'd never seen before. The human part of Kyle knew what she was but she'd not considered how his **wolf** might react. None of them had.

Kyle started to say something about all of the cookies when a different scent reached him. His eyes narrowed and flashed gold for a moment. His wolf only knew she was 'other' and that meant interloper.

"Shit, we didn't think about his wolf's reaction to me," Mercy said. She was keeping calm as possible. New werewolves were very easy to set off with things like fear.

Warren shifted so he was between them more and turned to Kyle. "You know Mercy, love, you count her as a friend. Yeah, she's different, and that's what you're picking up on, but she's also pack."

Kyle closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. Underneath the smell of coyote was the unmistakable smell of car oil. The tension left him and he opened his eyes to give Mercy and apologetic look. "I'm so sorry about that, Mercy. I.. don't know what happened, I was caught off guard."

Mercy gave him a faint smile. "It's okay, Kyle. You can't control the wolf's natural instinct when you're not given any warning. Hell, sometimes not even then. Are we good?"

"Of course we are. I'm worried about **you** not wanting to be around me because of it," Kyle replied. "You still smell like car oil, why is that?" he added.

Mercy laughed. "Occupational hazard. If you were still human you wouldn't even smell it. I'm sure you're starving. There's some really rare roast beef in the fridge waiting for you," she told him. "I'm glad you're okay, Kyle. Now, I think I'll try to get a little sleep," she added and left them to it.

"I scared her," Kyle said when she left. There was a note of hurt in his voice.

"It was instinct, darlin'," Warren said gently. "You're a wolf, she's a coyote, they're not always friendly in nature. But Mercy's been around werewolves her whole life, she knows what not to do. That's why she didn't move until she knew you were back in control."

"Which I have you to thank for," Kyle replied.

"Mmhm. Sit and I'll fix your plate," Warren told him and went to make two plates piled high with sandwiches. Kyle's plate had more on it.

"That's a lot of sandwiches," Kyle said once the plate was in front of him.

"Werewolves eat more, newly changed ones even more so," Warren replied. He was mildly amused a short time later when Kyle finished off the last of his food while he still had two sandwiches left. He picked one up and offered it to his mate.

Kyle took the offered sandwich and ate it too. The ravenous gnawing at his belly was finally gone and he felt calmer. "Thank you, my love. Now will you tell me why you insisted my first change of clothes be sweats?" he asked.

"You're welcome," Warren replied. "Well, darlin', that is because your first Change to wolf can happen any time now and sweats are a lot easier and a lot faster to get out of."

Sure enough, several minutes later Kyle frowned as he started to feel the pain that came with shifting. Warren helped him outside and then out of the sweats. Then he stripped as well. He would take his mate on his first run as a wolf, just the two of them. His wolf wanted to howl in joy at getting to share this with their mate but Warren remained silent because he didn't want to wake their Alpha.

When Kyle was finally done shifting Warren stared at him. Even his wolf was beautiful. He was mostly reddish blonde with a dark red stripe down his nose, his front left paw was red, and the very end of his tail looked like it was dipped in red paint. When Warren was sure it was safe he moved to Kyle and nuzzled him. A soft growl of pleasure escaped him then he was guiding Kyle away from the house and out into the nearby trees.

********************MT********************

"I'm going to assume you finally coming to bed means Kyle is awake," Adam said when Mercy crawled into bed with him.

"Yeah. There was a brief moment of... his wolf not knowing what I was but Warren calmed him and it's all good now," Mercy replied. "I didn't mean to wake you," she added.

"Mm, I know. It's okay," he said and pulled her close. "Sleep now," he added and nuzzled her.

"You know ordering me to do something doesn't do any good," she teased.

"Only when it suits you to listen, I know," was his reply. He smirked when she snuggled up to him and was soon asleep. He followed her in slumber now that he **could** sleep.

********************MT********************

Ben was surprised when he got the call late that afternoon informing them of Kyle's joining ceremony. "Already? He doesn't want to take any time to adjust?"

"No. He says he'd rather get it done right away. Will you and Luna be able to make it?" Adam asked.

"We'll definitely be there, Adam," he replied.

"Did I hear right? Kyle is becoming pack tonight?" Luna asked.

"You heard right, luv. It's good he feels ready for it. The connection will help his control."

"Is it weird I can't wait for him to officially be pack?" she asked after a moment.

"No, it's not weird. Or, if it is then we're both weird," Ben replied.

"We can be weird together," Luna said with a warm smile.

Ben laughed. "I do love the way you think." He kissed her lightly and let her get back to her lesson planning. He enjoyed watching her work because it was something she enjoyed. "You know, luv, if you wanted to get your degree I'd support you in it," he said.

"I've been thinking about it," she admitted. "Having a degree in teaching would make me more marketable."

"If you decide you want to do it, I'm behind you all the way, babe."

********************MT********************

When they arrived at their Alpha's home a lot of the pack was already there including their newest member, Riley. He seemed awfully taken with Lila, who also seemed to be sticking close to him, but since Adam wasn't worried Ben figured the wolf wasn't trouble. He was one of the ones who wasn't in the know about what had recently happened to her.

As soon as they were inside Luna headed right for Warren and Kyle. Kyle looked relaxed which was surprising since he was newly Changed. It had to be Warren's presence at his side.

"There's our fair Luna," Kyle said when she reached them. He kissed her cheek then tipped his head. "You smell like honey and parchment to me."

"Honey I already knew, Ben says the same thing. The parchment is new though," Luna replied. "How do you feel?" she asked.

"Good. I was nervous at first, when everyone started arriving, but Warren's presence makes it easier to stay calm."

"That's what it means to have a mate who is more dominant than you. They can help keep your wolf calm," Luna said and hugged him. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Ben hung back a little out of guilt. He'd caused Kyle a lot of pain. Sure, it had to be done for him to have a chance, but Ben still felt guilty.

Kyle seemed to figure it out before Warren and Luna and stepped closer to Ben before he stuck his hand out. "I'm not angry and I don't regret a second of it, even if I do remember how much it hurt. Fuck, nothing I was told could have prepared me for that, but I'm grateful to you Ben. You did what I asked and I'm standing here whole and ready to be pack."

Ben felt tension ease from his shoulders and he took Kyle's offered hand in a firm grip before he hugged him. He was like a brother to him, damn it. "Glad you're okay, too," he finally said.

"That makes three of us," Kyle replied. "Four when we include Warren."

"Make that five and six," Mercy said and pointed to her and Adam.

"Are you ready, Kyle?" Adam asked him and when Kyle nodded he motioned to the center of the dojo.

"Wait until you see his wolf," Warren whispered to Luna. "Gorgeous," he added with pride then moved to be near his mate for the ceremony.

Warren had explained the joining ceremony and he was somewhat prepared, but when the magic built up and then snapped as he swallowed the piece of flesh Adam offered him (and the human part of him cringed at that, yes it did), it was still startling and he was glad Warren was there to steady him.

A howl of joy erupted from Warren and it was soon followed by others. Kyle was welcomed into the pack with open arms and that made all the difference.

Not everyone who was there decided to go for a run but several did, including Ben and Luna. Luna had to admit, Warren was right. Kyle's wolf **was** gorgeous.

It was a joyous run and when it was over Kyle had to stay in wolf a bit longer so he and Warren stayed there in the safe room for one more night. If Warren was a less dominant wolf Kyle would have had to stay there under Adam's control for a while but Warren was more than capable of controlling his mate's wolf.

********************MT********************

Three days later Ben and Luna were having dinner with Warren and Kyle. "Did you guys hear, Chloe had her baby? A little girl they named Amaris," Luna said once they were all at the table.

"We did. We got the call probably right after you two. I'm sure Adam and Mercy were first on the list. We had to make our apologies for the wedding though, we're not going to be able to go," Warren replied.

"I'd completely forgotten about that or I would have waited," Kyle admitted.

"But Chloe understood and she's glad Kyle's alright. Now we just have to work on control," Warren put in.

"I seem to have some trouble with that, at least in one area," Kyle said and it was clear from the lascivious look on his face what way he meant.

Luna blushed while Ben chuckled. "Yeah, that can happen. It can be bloody well embarrassing if you aren't involved with someone. At least you're not wanting to rip people's heads off," Ben pointed out. "My old pack, we had to kill a newly Changed wolf because no matter what anyone did, he couldn't control his violent urges. It... wasn't pretty. He begged our Alpha to give him a chance, but after more than a year he was still a danger to everyone."

"I saw that a couple of times while in Aspen Creek," Luna said softly. "You never really forget it and I can't imagine how hard it is on the Alpha. With as long as the Marrok has lived, I really can't imagine what it's like for him, the number of wolves he's had to kill to keep us all safe." She shuddered. "It's a testament to his strength that he's been able to maintain his sanity."

"That man scares the shit out of me," Ben admitted. "Sorry, luv, but it's the truth. No one can be as dominant as he is, as calm and unassuming as he is until he decides otherwise, and not be scary. I don't ever want to be on his bad side."

"His Enforcer scares me even more," Warren said. "If you ever see him coming for you, kiss your ass goodbye," he added.

"Everyone always says that about him, but I was never afraid of Charles," Luna said after a moment. "Maybe because he took care of the wolves who'd abused me."

"That may have something to do with it, fair Luna," Kyle told her.

"By the way, Kyle, Warren was right, your wolf form is beautiful. We'll have to get a picture of you in wolf form sometime so you can see it yourself," Luna told him.

"I think I'd like to see what my wolf looks like since you both say it looks good," Kyle said with a nod.

"We'll take care of that, darlin'," Warren promised him. "So, Miss Luna, we know Chloe's getting married in a few weeks, when are you two finally tying the knot? Got a date set?" he asked to change the subject.

"End of August so it's neither too hot nor too cold and we have time before Fall semester begins," Luna replied.

"About damn time you set a date," Kyle teased. "Here we were thinking you were never going to set one."

"You just want to help plan everything," Luna said with a laugh.

"Of course," Kyle replied with a grin.

"What do you think of being a wolf so far, Kyle?" Ben asked him.

"It's amazing. I could do without the pain while shifting, but Warren says it never really goes away, you just get used to it. Sort of."

"I've heard that too. I'm still bloody waiting for that to happen," Ben grumbled.

"Patience, pup. Give it another few decades," Warren drawled.

Luna giggled at the look on her mate's face. "At least you're a dominant wolf. It's even worse for us submissives because it takes longer," she pointed out.

"Good point, luv, and it pains me to see you hurting and know there is nothing I can do to stop it," Ben told her.

"You two are almost sickeningly sweet," Kyle teased them. "I think the part that's most overwhelming for me is feeling so many people in my head. Warren is teaching me how to make it not be so strong all the time."

"It takes time to adjust and learn to tune it out, but the others should be helping by keeping the link closed on their end. Have you mentioned it to Adam yet?" Ben asked Warren. That was one of the first things he and Luna did when Kyle joined the pack.

"I left him a message just before you got here when I realized why Kyle was having so much trouble."

"I can't feel either of you. Is that because you're keeping me out?" Kyle asked them. "I mean, I still feel connected but it's not like you're in my head."

"Yes. As soon as you became pack we tightened the bond on our end to make the transition and adjustment easier for you," Luna replied before Ben could.

"I thank you both for that," Kyle said. "You know, it always amazed me how much food Warren could put away and still be so damn sexy. When I finally found out what he was, I understood a little, but now I **really** understand. I can't believe how quickly I get hungry."

"You adjust to that too, in time, and learn how often you need to eat or how much at each meal. It just takes a little time," Luna said. "Oh, you know this means you can eat all of my baked goodies you want and never have to worry about getting fat," she said with a cheeky grin.

Kyle laughed. "That's true. I shall take you up on that as soon as my love feels it's safe for me to venture out," he promised.

After dinner they put in a romantic comedy they'd all admitted to liking before and hung out a bit before Luna and Ben headed home.

********************MT********************

"What do you say we go for a run before bed?" Ben suggested to his mate.

"I could use a run. The night feels... tense for some reason," Luna replied.

"You're feeling it too?" He cocked a brow then tested the pack bonds as best he could and all seemed well. Sure, he wasn't Alpha, but Warren was Third and if there had been any issues, he'd have sensed them. "Must just be one of those nights," he said with a shrug. They stripped, shifted, and headed out.

********************MT********************

Adam frowned when his phone rang. Why would the Marrok be calling him? "Good evening, Bran, what can I do for you?"

"Good evening, Adam. I am calling you to inform you of a situation that has arisen. Have you heard about the recent string of murders that have been linked together? I believe they're calling them the Slicer Murders."

"I have, yes. Let me guess, it's one of ours."

"It is. Charles is tracking the rogue and believes it has moved into your territory. The rogue has been targeting young adults and teenagers."

Adam growled at that. "Thank you for the warning. I'll inform my pack of the danger. If anyone comes across this rogue I will let you know," he said and hung up.

Mercy had heard the conversation so while Adam called Darryl she called Warren. That way they could spread the word faster.

Several minutes later Adam's phone rang. "What is it Warren?"

"Got a problem, boss. There's no answer at Ben and Luna's and neither of 'em are answering their cellphones."

Adam rubbed a hand across his face. "Alright. We need to find them. Stay by the phone. I know you feel conflicted, you're our third, you should be with us, but you need to take care of your mate." Adam hung up and called Darryl again to let him know Ben and Luna weren't answering their phones.

Adam was somewhat surprised when Riley and Lila showed up, considering what she'd recently gone through, but perhaps helping to find Ben and Luna, and possibly the rogue, would take her mind off of it for a while.

Kami would stay there at the house with Jesse and Adam put Honey and Paul on guard, just in case. The fact Adam left **Paul** at his home showed he was starting to trust the wolf again, because Jesse was one of the most important things in his life. "I am trusting you with the safety of one of the most precious things in the world to me," Adam told him.

"I understand, Alpha. If the rogue dares to come here he will die," Paul replied. "Thank you for trusting me to keep her safe," he added.

Adam nodded and left with Mercy, Darryl, Aurielle, Lila, Riley, Mary Jo, and Joel to head over to Ben and Luna's home to start looking for them there. Chances were they'd gone on a run but with both the rogue **and** Charles Cornick in the area, Adam didn't want to take the chance that they could run into trouble.

********************MT********************

They'd been running, zigzagging through the woods past their property line, for about half an hour when a scream pierced the night air. Ben growled and headed in the direction it echoed from. It was a human scream filled with terror and that meant danger.

Luna bolted after her mate. She was a submissive, she didn't feel the urge to fight, but that didn't mean she **wouldn't** fight to protect others. The smell of blood and fear hit them both before they reached the area the scream had come from.

Ben reached the area first and snarled. A rogue wolf had attacked a couple of teenagers. One lay on the ground, body ravaged by claws, and blood pooling beneath it, while the rogue tore into the second teen, It only vaguely registered that the rogue did less damage to the boy than he was doing to the second teen, a girl of about sixteen. Ben slammed into the rogue to push it away from it's victim and the two started to fight.

Luna went first to the girl and her tail tucked a little. The girl was dead, there was no chance of healing for her, but what about the boy? She went to him and sniffed. She could hear a faint heartbeat, he was still alive, but was it enough to survive the attack? With a soft whine she turned her attention to her mate. Ben was the better fighter but the rogue was uncontrolled and that made him dangerous.

********************MT********************

Once at Ben and Luna's the pack spread out to find the strongest scent trail as it would be the most recent. Adam picked it up soon after entering the woods beyond the house and began following it. It didn't take long for him to get mildly annoyed with the crisscrossed path but soon enough the sound of fighting reached his ears. He knew one of the fighters was most likely Ben and howled to let him know help was on it's way.

********************MT********************

The rogue heard the howl and broke away from the fight to run. One wolf he could take on but not several, especially if the Alpha was the one that howled, which was most likely the case.

Ben started to give chase but Luna's whine stopped him. She was right, the injured boy was more important. It still didn't make any sense to him that the rogue stopped attacking him before the damage wasn't survivable when it made sure the girl wouldn't heal. He howled to let Adam know he was fine, what injuries he sustained in the fight would heal soon enough, then waited for his Alpha and the others to arrive. The question was, why were they out there to begin with? Did it have to do with the rogue he'd been fighting?

********************MT********************

Adam smelled the blood and approached slowly. One look at the scene and he motioned back the way they'd come. Darryl nodded and went back to shift and retrieve clothes and Adam's phone.

Mercy shifted quickly and approached the still form Luna was hovering near. "He's alive, barely," she said then looked at Ben. "Fighting the rogue was stupid. You could have gotten yourself killed. The Marrok has sent his enforcer here after the rogue, what if he'd come upon the scene, not seen Luna right away, and thought **you** were a danger too?"

Ben tucked his tail, lowered his head a little, and whined at her words.

"At least you're okay," Mercy said, letting him know she wasn't angry with him.

"And he made sure there is a trail to follow."

Mercy jumped at the voice. "Damn it, you scared the bejeebies out of me!" She turned and there stood Charles Cornick, the Marrok's enforcer.

"It's not often often the wolf gets the drop on the coyote," Charles said, knowing it was something only he and Mercy would get. She'd been a sneaky thing growing up in Aspen Creek. He moved to the boy and knelt. "If he survives this he'll need a pack. Good thing there is a very good one here for him to join. So far only one victim has survived. Twelve dead now, thirteen if the boy doesn't make it. For those who aren't aware, the rogue has been labeled a serial killer to keep the wolves protected," he told them. He stood and rolled his shoulders. "I'm going after him before the trail gets cold," he added and shifted.

"We can send Riley and Lila with you for backup," Mercy offered. Riley wasn't going to leave Lila's side and Mercy wasn't sure Charles would be comfortable with Joel. "Not that you **need** backup, but this way we have people who can talk to the police without there being any sort of issue," she added.

Charles looked at them a moment then gave a slight nod and ran into the woods in the direction the rogue had gone.

"Be careful," Mercy told Riley and Lila before they headed off after Charles. "Alright, everyone else clear out. Adam and I will take care of this. Ben, that includes you and Luna. Neither of you is out to the world and Luna could lose her job if anyone found out she's a werewolf."

Darryl, who had only just returned, handed Mercy a bag with clothes in it and Adam's cellphone. As soon as she was dressed and had clothes for Adam, Riley, and Lila as well, he took it back and headed back the way he came with the others trailing after him.

Their mate bond had gotten stronger over time and sometimes Mercy knew exactly what Adam wanted. While he shifted she made the call to the police to get them there. Riley and Lila returned while Mercy was on the phone and shifted back while they waited for the police to arrive.

By the time the police arrived everyone was back to human form and they had their stories straight. While Mercy was visiting with friends nearby, Adam, having learned the serial killer was moving through the west coast states and his most recent victims were south of the tri-cities, near Portland, Oregon, decided to take a few of his pack out scouting the area for any signs of suspicious activity. If they found anything they would report it to the police. It was pure luck that brought him close enough to that clearing to smell the blood. By the time he and the others arrived the attacker was already gone. And how did he contact Mercy if he was in wolf form? "I didn't, I sent a pack member to the house, she knew there was trouble when she saw them, and followed them here," was Adam's reply.

Lila and Riley stood off to the side and waited to be questioned. As the 'pack members' who'd joined him on the scouting party, they had to wait their turn. Neither of them was worried about being outted since both their employers already knew what they were.

"Miss O'Connell, was it?" an officer said, approaching Lila. "I have some questions for you," she added and moved away from the others. Riley was being questioned as well and all their stories would be checked for discrepancies. "Let me get this straight. You followed the trail for several miles until it ended at tire tracks? How could a human have traveled that kind of distance so quickly?"

Lila gave the officer a look. "Are you assuming we arrived right after the attack? We would have heard it before we reached the area," she replied. "Or are you actually suggesting that neither victim made a sound while that was happening to them?" she asked and motioned towards where the attack took place.

"We have to look at every possibility," the officer replied. "If I have any more questions I will be in touch," she added and let Lila go back to the others.

Riley and Lila fell in behind Adam and Mercy as they left the clearing and headed back towards Ben and Luna's. Lila stayed close to Riley as they moved through the trees. "What's going to happen to the boy?" she asked once they were far enough away to not be overheard.

"If he survives we will welcome him into the pack,"Adam replied. "Mercy and I will speak with his parents to educate them on what to expect," he added. He knew it wasn't going to be easy for them to deal with but at least with wolves being out to the world they wouldn't have to deal with the disbelief so many of the older wolves had had to deal with. Once back at Ben and Luna;s Adam filled the others in on what happened.

"So, the rogue is dead, a boy has been changed, and the police don't know the 'serial killer' is a wolf? How did the Marrok pull that one off?" Ben asked.

"He's just that good," Mercy replied.

They all went their separate ways but while everyone else went home, Mercy and Adam headed to the hospital to prepare the teenage boy's parents for what was ahead of them.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Disclaimer:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others. Also, I tend to get long-winded, so some of my chapters may be long, no, not may be, will be. You have been warned.

 **A/N:** I am going a bit off cannon here because I know in PB's stories Jesse and Gabriel are still trying to work out a relationship (unless that changed in Fire Touched) but I (meaning my muse) have decided to change that and give her an interest in one of Adam's wolves. For those who like seeing her and Gabriel together, my apologies. I write as my muse decrees and this is what she has chosen.

********************MT********************

Several days after the rogue attack the Columbia Basin Pack gathered to welcome their newest, and youngest, pack member. There was something... odd about the boy that Ben couldn't put his finger on. "Is it just me or is there something off about him?" Ben whispered to his mate.

Luna looked at him. "You don't know?" she asked.

"Don't know what?" Ben replied with a frown.

"He feels weird to you because he's an Omega."

Ben blinked. "Bloody hell. That explains why I feel so protective of him when I don't even know him."

"Mmhm," Luna replied.

"Wait, how do you know what he is?" Ben asked.

"Because we had two in the Marrok. Once you've been around an Omega it's easier to know what they feel like. He might have to go spend a little time in Aspen Creek with Asil at some point," she replied. They moved to the boy and Luna smiled at him. "Welcome to the family. That's what a good, healthy pack is; family. I'm Luna, this is my mate, Ben."

"I'm Ryan, but you already know that," he replied. "You're the ones who scared off the rogue that attacked me and Megan, aren't you?"

"We are. We're so sorry we didn't get there sooner," Luna said.

"I still can't believe all this is happening. Meg's dead, I'm a werewolf, it's just so unreal. I keep thinking I'm trapped in some nightmare and any minute now I'll wake up and everything will be back the way it was."

"I know. When it happens it's so hard to believe it's really happening. I was thirteen when I was attacked. Back then no one knew werewolves were real. It was so hard to believe I was this... creature now. I thought of myself as a monster, back then, but I've come to realize that being a werewolf doesn't make me a monster. It just makes me different. The monster was the rogue who attacked me and I'm nothing like him." Luna could understand the boy's disbelief.

"Many of us have been where you are right now," Ben told him. "We've been through the nightmare of an attack and gone through all the emotions you're feeling. Disbelief, denial, anger. But you don't have to deal with all of that alone," he added.

What's this? Sage advice from our favorite London werewolf?" Mercy said, overhearing them. "Where's my calendar, I need to mark this momentous occasion down before I forget."

"Oh, har har," Ben growled at her.

Adam approached at that moment and cocked a brow at them. "What have I missed?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm just giving Ben a hard time," Mercy replied.

Adam shook his head. His mate loved yanking the chains of several of their pack. He turned his attention to Ryan. "There are some ground rules you will have to follow. Mercy is my mate, that makes her the second highest in the pack. If you give her a hard time you'll answer to me. If you feel like you're struggling with control, call a pack member, immediately. You have to remember you're stronger now so no fighting in school because you could seriously hurt someone." Of course Adam didn't think fighting was going to be an issue for Ryan given what he was but he made sure to cover all the bases.

Ryan nodded. "I remember some of this from our talk at the hospital. I'll be careful," he promised.

"Good. Now, let's eat. There's plenty of food in the kitchen." Everyone had brought something to have a sort of potluck dinner.

"Good, I'm starving. Well, not really starving but..." Ryan said quickly.

"We know what you mean. Werewolves eat a lot, you'll get used to that," Mercy told him.

Kyle and Warren approached and caught what she said. "I'm still adjusting to that myself," Kyle told him. "The best part is we won't gain weight and you really need to try some of Luna's baked goodies. She makes these cakes that are absolutely **delicious**."

"They're crumpets," Luna said and blushed a little. "I learned to make them to give Ben a little taste of home."

"Better than home," Ben told her and kissed her cheek. "By the way. We have a little announcement," he added. "Luna has decided to go back to school to get her teaching degree."

"Really? That's great, Luna," Mercy told her.

"If you need anything you just say the word," Adam told her.

"Thank you. I will, I promise. I'm a little nervous about it, really. I'll still be teaching a course on the history of myths and legends and chances are I'll be taking classes with some of my students. It's going to be so weird."

"That would be kind of weird," Mercy said as they reached the kitchen.

Jesse was putting food onto two plates, one for her and one for Kami, when her gaze fell on the newest pack member. He had to be close to her age and he was **cute**. She and Gabriel had tried to make it work between them but they'd grown apart over the months he'd been away for college. They were still friends but a romantic relationship wasn't in the cards for them. "Hi, I'm Jesse," she said to him.

Ryan stared at the vision in front of him. Her pixie-cut hair was dyed daffodil yellow but the color looked good on her.

"Close your mouth," Mercy whispered to him.

Ryan actually felt his cheeks warm with embarrassment. "Uh, hi, I'm Ryan," he finally replied.

"Nice to meet you," Jesse said with a smile. "Oh, this little pixie here is Kami," she added and Kami waved from where she was perched on one of the bar stools at the breakfast counter. "She's Lila's daughter."

"My entire world," Lila countered. Her daughter meant everything to her.

"Is she a wolf too?" Ryan asked, confused.

"No. I had her six months before I was attacked. Female werewolves can't have children," Lila replied. She'd only recently started explaining to Kami about what she was since they were around a pack now.

"Oh. That's... sad."

"There is much you have to learn about what you are now but we'll take it a little at a time," Adam told him.

"I still can't believe this is happening. Why did I survive when Megan didn't? It's not fair."

"Honesty it's harder for females to survive an attack than it is for males. No one knows why, it just is," Adam replied. Ryan didn't need to know the rogue had stopped it's attack on him because he was an Omega. He was having an hard enough time as it was.

"How long do I have to stay here?" Ryan asked.

"Until you've gained control of your wolf. The length of time is different for everyone."

"What Adam isn't telling you is that you might have an easier time because you're special," Mercy put in. At the look her husband gave her she rolled her eyes. "He has a right to know, Adam."

"What do you mean I'm special?" Ryan asked, confused.

"You're what they call an Omega," Mercy replied.

Adam picked it up and continued because she was right, he had a right to know. "Every pack has an hierarchy that starts with the Alpha and moves down the pack by dominance. All pack members have to follow their Alpha's orders and a more dominant wolf can exert control over a more submissive one. Female pack members who do not have mates are at the bottom of the pack, regardless of their own personal levels of dominance, along with any submissive wolves the pack may have. Females who have mates take their pack position from their mates. An Omega, however, is outside of that hierarchy. All other pack members feel compelled to follow their Alpha's orders and cannot go against them even if they disagree with an order. That's why the Marrok, he's the leader of all the werewolves in North America, is very careful about who he puts in charge of a pack. Sometimes things go badly but that's another discussion. As I said, pack members are compelled to follow their Alpha's orders. Omegas feel no such compulsion. They can choose to follow or to ignore an order if they disagree with it."

Ryan stared at him. "Wow. That's... it sounds kind of dangerous."

"Not really. Omegas are much like submissive wolves in temperament. They don't have the urge to fight the way dominant wolves do. In fact, an Omega can calm things down when there is tension and they make a dominant wolf's protective instincts go into overdrive," Adam replied. "At some point you may have to go to Aspen Creek for a little while. There is an old wolf there who can help you to understand what you are and help you to learn what you can do as an Omega, but that can wait until you're no longer a minor," he added.

There was a bit more discussion about Omegas and Luna talked about both Anna and Thea and how they influenced the pack back in Aspen Creek. "Their presence has really helped a lot of the older wolves to not be so on edge. It's an heck of a whammy when you get them both together focused on a single wolf." That led to a story about one of the older wolves having a breakdown just before Luna left Aspen Creek. "I was there when Anna and Thea sent their calming magic out. The wolf just dropped where he stood he was so out of it." They all laughed at the image her words created. "It was.. I was in awe of what they were able to do."

"With how unstable so many of Bran's pack can be it's good they've got two Omegas," Mercy said after a moment.

"What do you mean?" Ryan asked curiously. "Why are they unstable?"

"Because they're old. A lot of the older wolves become erratic, even dangerous. They start to lose their hold on things and lose control more easily which puts others at risk. Then there are the younger wolves, and by younger I mean anywhere from under an hundred to just Changed, who struggle with controlling their wolves. Most of the pack in Aspen Creek consist of those two types because the Marrok is able to control them better and if they snap, completely, he will do what needs to be done to keep everyone safe," Adam told him. He and Mercy were taking turns talking.

"He kills them?" Ryan asked.

"Yes. To protect not just humans but werewolves as well," Mercy said before Adam could. "Bran's first priority is the safety of the werewolves under his protection."

"And his family," Luna said. "He'll do anything he has to in order to protect them."

"Okay, I think we've scared the boy enough for one day," Warren said when he saw the look on Ryan's face. "Why don't we just enjoy the food and company before we all head off to our homes," he added.

"So, little pixie, your birthday is coming up. Is there anything special you want?" Kyle asked Kami, thus changing the topic of discussion.

Kami bit her lip and nodded. "I saw this really pretty music box, it's gots a faerie on it, but..."

"But what, pixie?" he asked gently.

"It costs too much for mommy," she said quietly.

Kyle looked at her then scooped her up and hugged her carefully. He was still learning how to do things like that without hurting anyone. "Well, don't you worry, Uncle Kyle can handle that." He'd get her more than the music box but it gave him an idea of what she liked.

Warren took Lila aside. "Do you know where the music box is?" he whispered.

Lila nodded and told him which store in the mall it was in. She knew Kyle was going to spoil her daughter rotten. Between him and Riley she knew Kami wasn't going to want for anything.

********************MT********************

As everyone began to leave Luna stopped in front of Ryan. "If you feel you need to talk you're welcome to call me," she said and gave him a slip of paper she'd written her number on. "Sometimes it's hard for a dominant wolf to understand how unsettling and scary all of this can be," she added.

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind," Ryan replied.

"That's a good thing you did back there, luv," Ben said as he drove them home.

"I remember how scared I was. Dominant wolves just don't quite get that," she replied.

"No, we don't," he agreed. "We take a minute to freak out and then we're done and we move on. I hope he takes you up on it, he's gonna need someone to talk to."

Luna smiled a little. "Yeah. And he's going to need a mentor," she said pointedly. "You'd be good at that."

Ben laughed. "I don't know about that, luv. Someone should tell him to be careful with his interest in Jesse though. I can't see Adam wanting her involved with a werewolf."

"Maybe not but do you think that would stop Jesse if the attraction was mutual?" Luna countered.

"No, no it wouldn't," he admitted. Jesse Hauptman was her father's daughter. She was just as stubborn as he was. Given the alternative, being weak and manipulative like her mother, stubborn was a good trait.

"I can't believe the wedding is only three months away," Luna said after a moment.

"Only three months she says. I'm wishing it was tomorrow," Ben replied. "I'm looking forward to calling you Mrs. Shaw," he added with a wink.

Luna laughed softly. "Me too. But we are waiting for August. Kyle has thrown himself into the planning, I couldn't take that away from him. I think he's so focused on it because he can't work right now and this gives him something to do."

Ben thought about it. "You're probably right."

********************MT********************

Everyone had gone home, Mercy was keeping an eye on Jesse and Ryan, whom Adam reluctantly allowed to watch a movie together with the condition that Mercy be there, and Adam himself was at his desk in his office when his cellphone beeped indicating he had a text message. All across North America every Alpha under the Marrok's protection got the same message. _'Warn your packs. The fae are no longer our allies. Arm yourselves with cold iron and keep each other safe.'_ Adam stared at his phone for only a few seconds before he was dialing his fourth to get the word out. That was one of Ben's duties in the pack; he warned everyone of trouble.

********************MT********************

Luna's phone rang right about the same time Ben's did. His was Adam, hers was Anna. "Hey, Anna, is everything okay?" It was late evening and she knew her friend wouldn't call that late just to talk.

"Luna, there's been an attack. Tag was hurt, badly. He's going to be okay but I wanted you to hear it from me."

"An attack? Anna, what happened?"

"A fae happened. Let me start at the beginning. A couple of weeks ago this woman came to town, said she was the I-don't-know-how-many-greats granddaughter of Bran's brother and no I didn't know he had a brother either," Anna said because she knew what Luna was about to say. "Anyway, she's a witch. Bran almost threw her out of Aspen Creek but she proved she was who she claimed to be and he let her stay. If he hadn't... Charles, Tag, Asil, and Cyrus would all be dead right now. Charles said nothing they did hurt the fae for long, it's wounds closed faster than a werewolf's. The thing was getting ready to kill Cyrus when Tag got between them. He was nearly cut in half. The witch, Eirlys, did a spell that pulled iron out of the ground and flung it at the damn thing. They were able to kill it then. She saved everyone here."

Luna sat there staring in horror at what Anna told her. "Oh my gods... this doesn't make any sense. Why would they come after werewolves?"

"Because we all still have ties to humans so we can't really be their allies. That's what the fae that attacked said. It lured them out there to die. It used magic knowing that even if Bran didn't sense it Charles would. Charles told Bran to stay in Aspen Creek, just in case it was a trap. If he'd gone and Eirlys wasn't here..."

"Everyone in Aspen Creek would have died and every wolf tied to Bran would have suffered. Does Bran think this is an all out attack?" Luna asked.

Ben, who'd already gotten off his phone with Adam and was emailing everyone, spoke before Anna could. "Yes, he does. He's warned every wolf tied to him. We're to keep cold iron on us at all times, just in case."

"And if it's not an all out attack?" Luna asked.

"Then the Grey Lords have lost control of their people," Anna said loud enough for Ben to hear. "I'll call you with an update on Tag as soon as I have one," she added. "Stay safe."

"You too, Anna, and thank you," Luna replied and hung up. "I really hope this isn't an all out attack," she said softly.

"That makes two of us, luv."

********************MT********************

Adam was pacing his office when there was a knock on their front door. Before Mercy could reach it he was there. A growl escaped him when he opened it to find Alistair Beauclaire, one of the Grey Lords, standing there.

"I come in peace, Alpha. I would not have knocked if I meant to harm you or yours."

"What do you want?" Adam asked.

"A meeting with the Marrok. I know of the attack on his pack. It was not sanctioned by me."

"You want a meeting with the Marrok so you come here?"

"Do you really think he would welcome me into his town after what's happened?" Beauclaire countered.

Adam watched him. "I won't make any promises," he said after a moment.

Beauclaire nodded in understanding. "I would not ask for any."

"Come in," Adam said and went to make the call.

********************MT********************

"Beauclaire came to your door claiming the attack was not sanctioned by him? The fae that attacked was not weak. Only a Grey Lord could have sent it and after his display when that bastard got away with raping his daughter, I find it hard to believe he isn't the one in charge," Bran said once Adam filled him in on his visitor.

"Which means one of the others did and there is mutiny in their ranks," Adam countered.

"Tell him I will meet with him." Bran would be prepared though. If this was a set up he would be ready. "There is a cabin five miles south of Aspen Creek. I will meet with him there, tomorrow, at noon," he added and hung up.

********************MT********************

Ben moved around their home making sure it was secure. He made sure there was a weapon of some kind in easy reach no matter where they were. Then he went to his mate and wrapped his arms around her. "He'll be alright, luv," he said because he knew she was thinking about Tag.

"I know that in my head but my heart doesn't want to listen," she replied. "Knowing he'll be alright doesn't make me not worry, you know?"

"I know babe, I know. Anna will keep you updated on how he's healing," he said and kissed her temple. "What do you make of a witch being the one to stop the fae?" he asked to distract her from her worry.

"Honestly? I'm stunned. The Marrok doesn't like or trust witches. I don't know why he would let one stay in Aspen Creek even if she **is** related to him. At the same time I'm glad she was there or I'd be going to my father's funeral, and maybe a lot of other funerals too," Luna said quietly.

Ben felt her shaking and tightened his arms around her. "But we're not having to do that," he said softly. "They're all okay and they're going to stay that way."

"Goddess I hope you're right," Luna replied and let him help her to take her mind off her fears.

Ben knew his mate, he knew how to distract her until she was too tired to think. Hours later, when she finally fell asleep, he lay there watching her. If the fae were going to war against the wolves he would do all he could to keep his mate safe. He would not, could not, lose her.

********************MT********************

 **A/N:** For those who are interested in the conversation Bran and Beauclaire will have, it'll play out in chapter 6 of Witchborn: It's In the Blood.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Disclaimer:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others. Also, I tend to get long-winded, so some of my chapters may be long, no, not may be, will be. You have been warned.

 **A/N:** As I have not read the newest book, and the events within my fics are a little AU, nothing from the newest book will be within my stories. I am continuing where I left off with the attack on the Columbia Basin Pack's territory and my version of the repercussions of Bran's decision to cut them off.

********************MT********************

Luna was curled up next to Ben discussing wedding plans when her phone rang. She was trying to keep her mind off the fact her father was injured back in Aspen Creek, and the fact that their entire pack now had targets on them for any pack who thought they might be able to take them out and take over their territory. She glanced at the number and looked puzzled. Why was Adam calling her? "Hello, Adam. What's up?" she asked when she answered.

"Luna, I need you and Ben to meet Mercy and I at the private airstrip in two hours. I just received a call from Anna informing me that Colin Taggart and his companion are on their way here. Charles and Anna are flying them in."

Luna stared at the phone. "Really? Okay, we'll be there," she said and hung up. She shared a look with her mate. "I can't believe Bran would let him leave, not after he declared us rogues," she said softly.

"I doubt your father would let anything like that stop him from coming here," Ben replied. "You're too important to him for him to let a little thing like a lack of permission stop him from coming here to look after you, luv," he added.

Luna smiled a little. "Good point. I need to get the guest rooms ready... and we need to make sure we have lots of raw meat for him because I doubt he's fully healed from his injuries."

"I'll take care of the meat, you take care of the rooms," Ben assured her. He watched her head down the hall to the bedrooms before he went to the garage where the deep freezer was and pulled out meat to thaw for their guest. An injured wolf was a hungry wolf and they would be ready for Tag's appetite.

********************MT********************

Luna leaned against her mate as the plane slowed on it's approach to the hangar. She was worried about the condition her father would be in. He was seriously injured only a day ago, there was no way he was healed enough to have made the trip without any issues.

"He'll be all right, luv," Ben murmured. "Your father's strong, you know that. He'll be healed up in no time, you'll see," he added.

She gave him a weak smile as the plane stopped and the door opened. Anna was the first one off the plane and Luna went to greet her. "Hey, how was the flight?" she asked.

"It was smooth, though Bran now knows we took off in the plane. He's been yelling at us both," Anna replied. She chose to ignore Bran but she knew Charles was having a harder time with it.

"Ouch. I wouldn't want to be you two when you get back to Aspen Creek," Luna said with a shake of her head.

"He'll get over it. I'm pissed at him right now so I don't really care what he thinks," Anna told her. She turned as Eirlys came down the steps followed by Tag who was still in wolf form.

Luna studied the petite brunette as she approached them. She could see from the way her father hovered close to the woman that there was a deep connection between the two. "Hello, you must be the companion we were told was traveling with my father," she said and offered her hand. "I'm Luna."

"Aye, I am," Eirlys replied. "I'm Eirlys, but you can call me Lys," she added and shook hands with her.

Luna let out a soft sound as she knelt in front of her father. She could see the pain in his eyes, could see the injuries that were slowly healing, and it made her want to cry.

Tag nuzzled his daughter briefly and licked her cheek to console her before he growled softly. She didn't need to be so worried about him, he was fine.

"We've got to head back, keep me up to date on things here, okay? You're still family, Luna, even if Bran is being a bastard right now," Anna told her. They hugged before she joined Charles on the plane to go back to Aspen Creek.

Adam had stayed back while Luna greeted her father but once Anna headed back onto the plane he stepped forward. "Welcome to Columbia Basin Pack territory, Tag. We've got food for you, to help speed up the healing process. Your strength will be an asset should there be any further trouble," he said. He motioned to the side of the hangar where he'd had the food placed. Raw meat, with him in wolf form, was best for him and there was a sizable amount waiting for him to consume it.

Tag huffed at Adam and slowly made his way to the food. He felt like he was starving and he was grateful to the Columbia Basin Pack's Alpha for thinking about food.

"Come on, we can go wait at the truck until Tag is done eating," Luna said to Lys. "How do you know my father?" she asked as she led the other woman outside with Ben hovering close by.

"I met Tag when I first arrived in Aspen Creek. Well, the day after, really. I met with Bran and Charles the first day I arrived and Bran told the pack to stay away because I was a witch. He didn't make it an order though and a few of them weren't as leery of witches as Bran is. Tag is one of them. He and a couple other pack members decided to keep an eye on me to make sure I wasn't there for nefarious reasons." She laughed when she remembered their conversation. "He actually came right out and said those exact words to me. That he and a few others in the pack were going to keep an eye on me to be sure I wasn't up to anything nefarious. He kept calling me 'witch' and after the stress I'd been under the last several months, I snapped at him. I told him I understood the mistrust, given the long history witches have of doing evil, and then I pointed out that werewolves are just as vicious, just as evil, when they want to be. He laughed, said I had the Cornick grit and wicked tongue, then left. We ran into each other a couple more times, which I'm sure you know isn't that difficult given how small the town is. Then, one evening, Maryanne stopped by the motel where I was staying, invited me to dinner, and Tag and I talked things out. We've become very close in the short time we've known each other," Lys admitted. She looked at the young woman next to her. They were close in age which should have made her feel awkward since Tag was Luna's father but it didn't. "I care a great deal for your father. I've never known anyone like him."

"Tag is definitely one of a kind," Luna said. She kept glancing at Lys out of the corner of her eye. She wanted to ask about the injury she sustained, how it happened, but she didn't want to be rude. It was obvious the injury was fresh, the scarring around her eye was still raw and red.

Lys saw the way Luna kept glancing at her since she was on her right side and knew Luna was wondering about the injury. "How much do you know about the attack in Aspen Creek? Or about witches?" she asked.

Luna blinked at the question. "Anna said that a fae attacked and you did a spell to help Tag and the others to kill it," she replied. "To be honest, I know very little about witches," she admitted.

Lys nodded as if she'd expected that answer. "Aye, I did indeed cast a spell. It was a powerful spell, it had to be because the fae that attacked was powerful in it's own right. The thing about witchcraft is, for every spell you cast, there is a price. The smaller the spell, the smaller the price. A burning of incense, an offering of something precious such as a stone, things of that nature can be used to pay the price of casting. However, with great magic comes a greater price. The spell I cast... it required much more than a small offering. Had I been a black witch I would have used the life force of another, an animal, to cast it. I am not a black witch. A price needed to be paid and I paid it myself." She motioned to her face. "It was worth it and I would do it again in a heart beat if I had to. Of course Tag was a wee bit disgruntled when he realized I could have killed myself with the spell I cast, but the alternative was everyone in Aspen Creek being slaughtered. I wasn't going to let that happen."

Luna stared in awe of the young woman who'd risked her own life for that of others. "You have no idea how grateful I am to you for what you did," she said softly. "I've only known that Tag was my father for a few months but I've known him for years. Thank you for what you did."

Lys was humbled by her words. "You don't need to thank me, Luna. He's a good man," she said and glanced at the open hangar door where she knew he was eating.

"I'm curious about something," Ben said from where he stood next to the truck. Luna and Lys were sitting on the tailgate while they waited for Tag to come out. "How, exactly, are you related to Bran, Samuel, and Charles? Anna said something about Bran having a brother but no one has ever heard of him before."

"Aye, he was my several greats-grandfather," Lys replied. "It is a long story, but since we have time I will share it with ye," she added. "My gran told me the story as it was told to her. There were two brothers, Bran and Myrrdin, born to a witch with a heart black as night. She was evil to the core. She had a pet werewolf and she decided, one day, to turn that werewolf upon her own flesh and blood. By this time Bran and Myrrdin were grown men, Bran had a son who was mostly grown as well, but as far as anyone knew Myrrdin had neither a woman nor a child. They were wrong. He had both but he had to keep their existence secret. He knew, should his mother learn of his babe's existence, she would use it against him. The very day he was taken from this world, he'd given his woman a ring. Perhaps he knew he would never see her again. He told her the ring would prove he was their daughter's father, should she ever need to do such a thing. He knew their child had magic, he felt it in her, and he wanted his woman to find someone to help her learn how to control it. He believed the ring would help. That was the last she saw of him. He did not survive the attack and he went to his grave knowing his daughter was safe from his mother's evil. My gran told me of Myrrdin, and Bran, on her death bed. She was the only family I had in this world, as far as I knew, and she was dying. She didn't want me to go through life believing I was alone, and she explained the reason she never said anything was because Bran and Samuel were werewolves and wolves and witches don't always get along so well. She knew enough about Bran to know he didn't trust witches, which is understandable given his past, but she didn't know where to find him. I tracked Samuel from Texas to Washington and then finally to Montana. And now here we are." As she finished her tale Tag came out of the hangar. He'd shifted back to human form and was dressed in a pair of sweats that Adam had provided for him.

Luna saw her father and hopped down off the truck to go to him. She hugged him gently and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "I'm so glad you're here and okay, dad," she said softly.

Tag blinked. "Dad? That's the first time you've called me that," he said. He was still hurting but that didn't stop the huge smile that spread across his face.

"Yeah, well, having you almost die, it really hit me that it would have crushed me if I'd lost you."

Tag hugged her tight and chuckled. "It's still nice to hear. I don't know about you, but I'm a bit wiped," he said and let her go.

"I've already got the guest rooms made up," Luna told him. "If you don't want to sleep in separate rooms, the beds are big enough for two," she added cheekily.

Tag laughed at that. "You are definitely my daughter," he said and went to Lys. He pulled her into an embrace and nuzzled her hair. "I'll let you decide where you want to sleep, no pressure," he murmured in her ear before he helped her into the backseat of the truck and slid in next to her.

Luna slid into the front seat next to Ben and turned to look back at Tag. "We've made a few changes to the house since Christmas. We're adding on to it, adding two more bedrooms and a bathroom, and I was thinking of having a guest house built as well. We've got enough acreage for it."

"Why are you adding two bedrooms and a bathroom?" Tag asked with a raised brow.

Luna blushed a little. "Ben and I were thinking about adopting, once we've said our vows. OH! Lys, since you're clearly part of the family now, you are hereby officially invited to mine and Ben's wedding. It's a couple months away."

"I'm honored to be invited," Lys said with a friendly smile. She liked Tag's daughter. She was a sweet girl and she could tell by looking at her that she was submissive. She had a feeling that was the very thing Luna's mate had needed; a submissive wolf he could devote his attention to.

Tag groaned playfully. "I'm too young to be a grandpa," he teased.

Luna laughed. "No you're not, you just look like it. You'd be an awesome grandfather and you know it."

"I don't know about that, but you, Luna girl, will be a great mother. Any child you adopt will be very lucky."

Luna blushed. "Thanks. It's still a ways off but... I know it'll happen."

********************MT********************

They pulled up to the house and Lys found herself feeling a bit... awkward. Coming from such simple means, a small cottage that was half the size of the house Luna and Ben lived in, she couldn't help feeling a little out of place. Even Maryanne's home back in Aspen Creek was bigger than she was used to. "You have a lovely home," she said as they climbed out of the truck.

"Thank you. Ben surprised me with it as a Christmas gift," Luna said and smiled warmly at her mate. "You know, I just realized neither of you has anything with you, I take it you didn't have time to pack a bag before you left?" she added.

"No, we didn't. We went straight to the airstrip, but Maryanne gave me her credit card to pick Tag and I both up some clothes and other necessities while we're here," Lys replied.

"Okay. We'll take you shopping later. You both look like you could use a rest," Luna said as Ben opened the front door and ushered them all inside.

Lys nodded. "I admit I'm still worn from the attack," she confessed.

Luna showed them to the guest rooms. "Bathroom is right across the hall and you saw where the kitchen is. Help yourself to whatever you want, you're family," she told Lys before she left them alone.

Lys didn't even hesitate. When Tag opened one of the guest room doors to go in and lay down she joined him.

Tag cocked a brow then grinned. "Damn, woman, you do like surprising me," he said and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm glad you're here with me," he added.

"Someone has to keep you on your toes, Colin Taggart," she teased. "So am I," she admitted. "Let's get some rest. You've still got a lot of healing to do, wolf," she added.

Tag led her to the bed and once they were curled up together he let sleep claim him. He was exhausted and he knew he'd be hungry again in just a few hours.

********************MT********************

Ben sat on the sofa with his arms wrapped around his mate. "What do you think of Tag's mate?" he asked and nuzzled her.

Luna blinked at him. "Mate? You think she's his mate?"

"Luv, the way he looked at her, he's over the moon for her, so yes, I think she's his mate, even if he hasn't asked her to be yet. He will soon enough."

Luna thought about what he said. "He does seem very protective of her. Did you see how he hovered when they first got off the plane? I like her. It's not just because she risked her own life to save him, she's... sweet. She can definitely handled my father, that's for sure." It no longer felt strange thinking of Tag in that way. He was her father and it didn't slip her notice the way he grinned at her calling him 'dad'.

Ben chuckled. "He's definitely met his match with her. She'll be good for him, keep him on his toes, so to speak."

Luna smiled at that. "Yeah. As long as she makes him happy, I'm okay with that. He's been alone a long time, he's not had anyone in his life since he met my mom all those years ago. He deserves a chance at happiness, you know?" She thought about her mother. After all this time she was finally ready to let go of her old resentment over being pushed aside after her attack. She would never forgive her stepfather for his part in what happened to her, both before she was attacked and after, when she was with her old pack, but her mother was as much a victim in all of it as she had been and she needed to forgive her. "Ben? I want to invite mom and Mandy to come for a visit. I don't know if mom will come without Roger, and I don't know how to tell her why I don't want him here, but I've come to the realization I need to let go of the resentment and the hurt over her pushing me away. Mom is just as much a victim in all this as me,.Roger deceived her in order to cover up for his worthless scum of a brother, and I need to stop being angry with her. I need to forgive her." She bit her lip. "And maybe I need to tell her everything, so she knows **why** I'm forgiving her."

Ben studied her. "Even if telling her means ruining her marriage?" he asked gently. When she'd confronted her stepfather she'd originally said she wouldn't tell her mother but if she felt she needed to now Ben would support her decision.

"He's deceived her for years, he convinced her it was in my best interest when he knew he was only doing it to cover up what his brother did to me... Mom deserves to know the truth about him and if I don't tell her what he did then I'm no better than him."

Ben wrapped his arms around his mate and held her close. "Alright, luv. Whenever you want to make the call, I've got your back."

"Thanks, baby. I'll talk with dad first. I need to warn him in advance that I'm inviting her for a visit... and I'll have to explain **that** to her too, before they see each other." She realized, suddenly, that things might go badly if she put her mother and father in the same room together, because she didn't know if her mother still harbored feelings for the man who'd gotten her pregnant or not. There was only one way to find out though. Here was hoping when the dust settled things wouldn't be completely screwed up.


End file.
